Steve Smith backed as opener by Australian coach despite form

Steve Smith looked all at sea against New Zealand, but his coach has fired back at critics of the opening experiment.

Steve Smith is likely to be opening the batting when Australia plays its next Test against India in nine months after national coach Andrew McDonald labelled criticism of the batting star’s first foray atop the order “unfair”.

Australia won three of four Tests after choosing to move Smith from No. 4, where he averages 63, to open after the retirement of David Warner as a way to get Cameron Green into the top six.

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In four innings in New Zealand, Smith made 51 runs, having returned 120 runs in four digs against the West Indies, most coming in an unbeaten 91 at the Gabba.

Former Test captain Tim Paine was adamant Smith should move back to No. 4 to bolster a batting line-up too regularly being saved by individual efforts in recent times, like Green’s unbeaten 174 in the opening match against the Kiwis in Wellington.

McDonald conceded the nine-month break between games would give selectors time to ponder the best make-up.

Steve Smith battled in New Zealand. Picture: Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images

He does feel they have the best six batters in the line-up and said Smith would “work through” his challenges, adding changes were unlikely for the Indian series.

“I think it’s unfair,” McDonald said of criticism around Smith.

“But that would probably mean that I’m going into defensive mode around my player, which will be probably a headline.

“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.

“He’s up for the challenge. I think any time that Steve Smith fails he sees it as a greater challenge.

“So obviously walking away here with 51 runs under his belt in tough conditions, that’ll no doubt drive him for the next challenge. And that next challenge is India and they await.

Alex Carey and Pat Cummins celebrate victory in Christchurch. Picture: Sanka Vidanagama / AFP

“I think it’ll be an internal motivator for him. He wants to open. It’s a position that he came to us around and we think he can make it work.

“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 an unchanged team, having made just one change across the summer, Green in for Warner.

Australia won six of those seven Tests, including the stirring win in Christchurch to complete a series clean sweep of the Kiwis, on the back of Carey’s unbeaten 98, which eased any pressure on the keeper.

Andrew McDonald and Steve Smith. Photos: Getty Images

“There’s a long time between now and the next Test match, a lot water under the bridge. We feel as though we’ve got a group that can carry us through that next phase,” McDonald said.

“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 match run, we’ve won eight of those Test matches, 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.

“We’ve got seven or eight months before we have to pick the next team, so now we’ve got an opportunity here to take some time, assess where everything’s at and then make some decisions from there.

“And I’m always a believer in making a decision when you need to make the decision and now’s not the time for that.”