Former Australian coach Justin Langer revealed which batting position suits ace Australian batsman Steve Smith the most in Test matches.
Smith, who traditionally bats at No.4 or No.3 slots in Test matches, switched to being an opener in the longer format after the retirement of David Warner. Being an upper middle-order batter throughout his prime, Smith chose to open in the longest format to fill in.
However, not all has gone as planned since Smith's opening stint began. He has averaged below 30 and has not been able to play his natural game. Smith's highest score as an opener is just 91 not out and is yet to score a ton while playing up top.
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Where should Steve Smith bat in Tests as per Justin Langer?
Former Australian coach, Langer believes Smith's best position in the red-ball game is number four. Langer, who is the current coach of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, spoke highly of the experienced batter while admitting, he is 'best-suited' at number four for the Aussies.
Speaking on Cricket et al Podcast, Langer said, "He’s the greatest player we’ve had. Great players adapt, they can bat anywhere in the order. For the Australian cricket team, I think he’s best suited to bat number four.
"I think it’s a really specialised position (number four). It’s not that he can’t do it (open the batting). I’d love to see him bat at No.4, but then they have to work out who doesn’t play. My observation was that it was more about trying to get Cameron Green in and Mitch Marsh had taken that (all-rounders’) role, but they wanted to get the best young player into the XI."
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What are Steve Smith's Test stats as an opener?
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s/100s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 8 | 171 | 28.50 | 52.94 | 1/- | 91* |
What are Steve Smith's Test stats batting at number four?
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s/100s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 111 | 5966 | 61.50 | 52.89 | 26/19 | 239 |
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