Usman Khawaja not convinced Australian selectors are set on Steve Smith as his opening partner against India

The jury is still out on whether Steve Smith is a Test opener and his opening partner Usman Khawaja is not ruling out a selection backflip, writes BEN HORNE.

Usman Khawaja believes Australian selectors will at least discuss the merits of backtracking on the move to make Steve Smith a Test match opener.

Smith averaged 12.75 as Khawaja’s opening partner on February’s two Test tour of New Zealand, prompting calls for the run-scoring maestro to be returned to his customary position at No.4 for this summer’s crunch five-Test date-with-destiny against the might of India.

National Selector George Bailey defended Smith’s controversial promotion to replace David Warner as Australian opener, declaring last month that it was too early to be “running a line through Steven at the top of the order.”

However, with still more than six months to run until the first ball is bowled against India, Khawaja is not convinced anything is set in stone when it comes to the ordering of Australia’s top six.

Khawaja was lukewarm on Smith’s proposed move to open before it even happened, for the simple reason that he was the undisputed best No.4 in Test cricket.

Khawaja believed Smith’s best position was at No.4. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

And for that reason, Khawaja says it would be “silly” to think selectors wouldn’t at least keep their options open before taking on India’s new ball weapons.

“I’m not sure to be honest. I guess selectors have been very clear, they’ve picked their top six. And the captain and the coach decide the batting order from there,” Khawaja said in an interview to announce his role as Amazon Prime’s ambassador for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

“I still think he’s the best No.4 in the world, by far. There’s not even a question about that.

“So whether or not they change it, I’m not really sure.

“There’s a lot of time between now and then.

“You’d be silly not to think that discussions would not be had about what our best six is and in what order.

“It’ll be interesting to see what happens. I’m not really sure. It’s a long time between now and then so let’s see what happens.”

Selectors are faced with a complicated dilemma, because the man who has replaced Smith at No.4, young gun Cameron Green, made a magnificent hundred in the position against New Zealand.

Green celebrates that important century in New Zealand in March. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

However, the overall performance of Australia’s batting order has been less than convincing since Smith moved up to open the batting, and many critics are questioning whether Australia can risk sacrificing one of the best batsmen of all time against the new ball.

Khawaja has made it clear a man of Smith’s immense ability is more than capable of mastering a late switch to opening, but warned during the summer that the move wasn’t without risk.

“I say it’s a specialist position in brackets, but anyone who can bat in the top four can open,” Khawaja said back in January.

“I just wouldn’t want to sacrifice someone who is in my opinion the second-greatest ever Test batsman (away from) the position that he’s been batting in for so long.

“The beauty of Steve Smith is he’s a beautiful No.4 batsman. He can bat against pace. He’s really good against spin.”

Smith made a gutsy 91 not out in one of his four Tests to date as an opener in a sign he does have the ability to make a late-career switch to the toughest batting position.

However, Australia has suffered a number of recent top order batting collapses without the stability of having Smith come in at No.4, a position where he has so often resuscitated a faltering innings.

Bailey has suggested Australia wouldn’t go looking for another makeshift opener against India, although it would look at Travis Head as a horses for courses opener on next year’s Test tour of Sri Lanka.

If Australia was to look for a different opener in its current top six, Head and Marnus Labuschagne would appear the only real alternative options.

Originally published as Usman Khawaja not convinced Australian selectors are set on Steve Smith as his opening partner against India