SMITH’S CRITICS ‘BEING UNFAIR’
McDonald backs opener
Andrew McDonald says the extent of criticism directed towards opener Steve Smith is “unfair”, but the Australian coach has stopped short of locking the former captain into that position for the home series against India next summer.
The heroics of Alex Carey, Mitch Marsh and Pat Cummins at Hagley Oval on Monday eased the pressure on the Aussies, who moved back into the top two on the World Test Championship table following their three-wicket win over NZ in the second Test.
Australia has played 20 Tests since late November 2022 – and won a one-day World Cup – but does not play another Test until the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in late November.
With no selection urgency, McDonald would not guarantee the same XI that played the past four Tests would line up if fit for the start of the India series, but said the team would be tough to “infiltrate”.
With Carey having shored up his spot with an unbeaten 98 in the Christchurch chase, the most pressing discussion surrounds Smith, who accrued just 51 runs in four Test innings in NZ and is averaging 28.50 since moving to the top of the order in January as David Warner’s replacement.
McDonald said Smith remained energised by the challenge of opening and suggested that commentary around the all-time great’s output had been harsh.
“I think it’s unfair, but that would probably mean that I’m going into defensive mode around my player, which will be probably a headline,” he said. “I don’t think it’s deserved. I think he’ll be able to work through that. It’s a new challenge for him. It’s a new position and if you’re bringing in a new opener, and you gave them four Test matches and then said, ‘OK, we’re going to shift that after four Test matches’, would you think that’s fair, unfair? I think it’s reasonably unfair.
“I think for Test matches, this is still a rather small sample size. No doubt everyone’s asking the question around Steve Smith.
“We feel like he’s a great player. His ability to problemsolve is one of his great strengths so he’s been challenged in these conditions.
“The surface has been newball wickets and no doubt there’ll be a debate as to what his best position is. But we’re trying to make sure that we get the best top six batters, plus Alex Carey as an extension of that, and how we stack them is always going to be a debate.”
McDonald pointed to the likelihood of the same XI after just one change across the summer – Cameron Green for Warner – given that Australia won six of seven Tests this season, retained the Ashes last year and claimed a WTC title last June.
“There’s a long time between now and the next Test match, a lot of water under the bridge,’’ McDonald said.
“We feel as though we have a group that can carry us through that next phase.
“It’s not to say that there won’t be changes, but as it sits at the moment, we’ve won 2-0 here, we’ve had a 12-Test run, we’ve won eight of those Tests, a couple of those being away in terms of the Ashes and here, so it’s going to be a hard group to infiltrate. It will take something special.”
Smith is unlikely to play any red-ball cricket until a Sheffield Shield stint for NSW in October. McDonald all but confirmed Marsh would be named captain for the Twenty20 World Cup in June.