Australia v New Zealand first Test: Steve Smith’s sights on being world’s best opener

Steve Smith has set his sights on becoming the world’s best Test opener as the former Australian skipper seeks to build on the platform of his near-heist at the Gabba last month.

Steve Smith has set his sights on becoming the world’s best Test opener as the former Australian skipper seeks to build on the platform of his near-heist at the Gabba last month.

Despite the “surprise” retirement of Smith’s short-ball nemesis Neil Wagner, Smith and his fellow Aussie batters could still confront a four-pronged New Zealand bowling attack, with the Black Caps leaving it late to decide which of spinner Mitchell Santner or paceman Scott Kuggeleijn fills the last place in the NZ XI for the first Test at the Basin Reserve, beginning on Thursday.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins says the Aussies would consider inserting NZ should they win the toss, but suggested that a typically green wicket at the Basin Reserve was not as fearsome a proposition as it may appear.

In any case, Smith and Usman Khawaja will resume their recent union as Australia’s opening couple after Cummins confirmed the Aussies would name an unchanged XI from the shock Brisbane defeat to the West Indies in late January.

Having been divisively moved to the top of the order as part of a reshuffle following David Warner’s retirement, Smith put a shaky start in his new spot behind him with an unbeaten 91 in the Gabba run chase, only to run out of partners as Shamar Joseph ran amok to deliver a colossal upset.

Steve Smith is determined to become the world’s best Test opener. Picture: Getty Images

But according to Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey, Smith is keen for that to be only the start of a sustained run of success in the position.

Carey pointed to Smith’s recent obsession with golf, of which along with Marnus Labuschagne he is a late adopter by Australian cricket team standards, as proof of Smith’s yearning to master any craft he tries.

Steve Smith made a solid start to his Test opening career during the recent series win against the West Indies. Picture: Getty Images

“I think with those two, once they do something or try something they want to be the best at it and then they sort of get a bit addicted to it,” Carey told this masthead.

“And that’s all they think about obviously outside of cricket but between batting and golf now there’s not too much going on for them.

“For him now opening the batting he wants to be the best opener in the world, so you know he will throw everything into it and as we saw with his last Test innings 90 not out, he’ll find a way to succeed. (Although) I don’t know if he’ll find a way to get down to scratch in golf.”

Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey has backed Steve Smith to succeed at his goal of becoming the world’s best Test opener. Picture: Getty Images

Wagner caused Smith trouble when the sides last met in Test cricket four summers ago on Australian soil, with the left-armer stifling the Aussie star with an array of short-pitched bowling.

The veteran quick announced his retirement earlier this week after being told he would not make the cut for NZ’s XI.

Cummins said he had not been expecting the news, and that it would lead Australia to change tack slightly.

“Obviously he’s part of the squad. So thought he was in line to play, whether he was in the final XI or not we obviously weren’t too sure,” Cummins said on Wednesday.

“(We’ll shift a few of our plans but he’s been a wonderful competitor whenever we played him over the years. I think as a fellow fast bowler who isn’t necessarily a seam-up trying to swing and get an outside edge kind of bowler, seeing the way he’s created problems for batters in a non-traditional kind of way I’ve really admired from afar.”

Cummins said Australia would wait until match day to make a determination on a potential call at the toss.

“(Bowling first is) a live option. I think you know, coming from Australia, it’s rare to turn on the TV and see as green a wicket, it looks like the turf here. But over here, it’s pretty normal. But I don’t think it’s as scary as perhaps what it looks.”

The Black Caps on Wednesday ruled out opener Devon Conway following a blow to this thumb suffered during the Twenty20 series against Australia last week.

Henry Nicholls has been added to the squad, but Will Young is set to take Conway’s spot at the top of the order.

NZ skipper Tim Southee said a final look at the pitch would shape whether Kuggeleijn joins the captain, Will O’Rourke and Matt Henry in a pace-heavy attack or if Santner would be included.