Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has backed Steve Smith to remain as one of Australia's openers in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy. Australia are all set to host India which will be held in November and December.
In what promises to be a thriller, Austarlia are expected to be under the pump, being on the back of consecutive BGT defeats at home in 2019 and 2021. Not only is the BGT a replay of the 2023 World Test Championship final, but both India and Australia stand at the top of the current WTC 2023-25 rankings.
The five-match series starts in November 2022, and both teams have already started preparing for the red-ball format. India have rested their first-choice red-ball players from the Bangladesh T20I series, while Australia could also do the same for their upcoming white-ball series against Pakistan.
Shane Watson has backed Steve Smith to continue opening for Australia in the red-ball format. The 43-year-old has also lauded the likes of Cameron Green for batting in the number-four position quite impeccably.
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What did Shane Watson say about Steve Smith opening against India?
Shane Watson has backed Steve Smith's decision to open for Australia in Tests. After David Warner announced his international retirement, Smith replaced him up-top in the longest format.
The move has paid dividends of some sort for Australia, being able to incorporate the likes of Cameron Green at number four - Smith's previous batting position. Smith has always been a top-order batter for Australia, and Watson has backed the veteran to open the innings in the upcoming BGT.
In an interaction with reporters, the former RR star said, "Steve Smith made the call to be able to go and open, and I think he should stay there. Cameron Green came in and batted at No 4 and did a brilliant job. The hundred that he got in New Zealand for something very special. He's the perfect No 4 candidate now with the future moving forward."
He added, "The reason why he (Smith) didn't do so well over the previous couple of Test matches is that he was a little bit off with his technique. Just a little bit off, which led to him getting out in ways I've never really seen before."
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What is Steve Smith's Test record as an opener?
| Position | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opener | 4 | 8 | 171 | 28.50 | 52.94 | 1 | 91* |
What is Steve Smith's record in Border Gavaskar Trophy?
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | 100s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 35 | 1887 | 65.06 | 52.79 | 5 | 8 | 192 |
MORE: When will Ranji Trophy 2024/25 season begin?
Full schedule for the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25
| Test | Date | Time (IST) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | November 22 - November 26, 2024 | 08:00 AM | Perth |
| 2nd Test | December 06 - December 10, 2024 | 09:30 AM | Adelaide |
| 3rd Test | December 14 - December 18, 2024 | 05:30 AM | Brisbane |
| 4th Test | December 26 - December 30, 2024 | 05:30 AM | Melbourne |
| 5th Test | January 03 - January 07, 2025 | 05:30 AM | Sydney |
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