Steve Smith says he would have succeeded as Test opener if he had continued in the role

Steve Smith believes he would have succeeded had he continued opening the batting for Australia in Test cricket despite averaging just 28.50 from eight innings at the start of 2024.

Steve Smith insists he could have succeeded had his run as Test opener continued and says he is unfazed about where he bats once Cameron Green returns from injury.

Speaking to this masthead ahead of Friday night’s Sydney Smash between his Sydney Sixers and the Sydney Thunder in the BBL, the all-time great says he reflects fondly on his four-Test stint at the top of the order at the start of 2024 despite averaging just 28.50 from eight innings.

Smith replaced David Warner after the latter’s Test retirement in January last year.

After a months-long referendum over whether Smith would remain at the top for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Green’s season-ending injury allowed Smith to slot back to No.4, opening the door for Nathan McSweeney and then Sam Konstas to partner Usman Khawaja.

Steve Smith walks out to open the batting for Australia at the Adelaide Oval in January 2024. Izhar KHAN / AFP

Having maintained that he had not strictly requested to go back to second drop but had instead expressed that as his preference when asked the question by Australian team leaders, Smith had a successful summer, posting two Test tons as the Aussies beat India 3-1.

But while noting that the change to the Kookaburra ball a few years ago, combined with pitch conditions, had made life for top order batters in Australia, Smith says he was glad to have had the chance to open in Test cricket and could have made it work had things continued.

“It was a cool experience to do for a little bit,” Smith said.

“I mean, only did it for a few Tests, and still think if I carried on with it, I still could have been successful up there.

“But no doubt at the moment, probably the top three or four is the toughest place to bat with the conditions we’re facing at the moment and what the wickets are doing. It’s challenging, no doubt, but I’ll think of it as a an opportunity that I had and an experience that I was able to do. And don’t really give it too much other thought than that.”

Steve Smith’s short lived opening stint wasn’t the success he hoped it would be. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Australia is optimistic that Green will be available to play as a specialist batter in June’s World Test Championship final.

The West Australian made an unbeaten 174 at No.4 in his second most-recent Test, but Smith – who will captain Australia in Pat Cummins’ absence in Sri Lanka – said he wasn’t sure what would happen to the order when Green comes back.

“Whatever the brains trust want to do I’m not too fussed to be honest. So yeah, see what happens,” Smith said.

Smith also indicated that no final calls had yet been made on the batting order for the Sri Lanka series.

“‘I’m sure we’ll have the conversations with selectors and Ron (coach Andrew McDonald) over there. And we’ll come up with whatever we think is best.”

Cameron Green made an unbeaten 174 at number 4 the last time he batted in a Test match. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

The 114-Test veteran also remains noncommittal on his international future, other than reiterating that he was tempted by the lure of playing at the 2028 Olympics.

“In regards to going past (next) summer (in Test cricket), I’m unsure. I’ll just sort of take it day by day and see how we go,” he said.

Smith was a foundation player with the Sixers back in 2011, explaining why he had opted to join the club rather than cross-town rivals the Thunder.

“I think I just wanted to play at the SCG, to be honest. That was our home ground. I just love playing at the Cricket Ground. And yeah, I think the guys they got that first year, I was good mates with a lot of them, and sort of just carried on from there.

“I always love coming back playing for the Sixers. I’ve been involved since the start, and such a great culture, good people and guys have a lot of fun.”

Earlier this week at the SCG, Smith and Sixers teammates Moises Henriques and Sean Abbott trained with kids from the Leichhardt Wanderers Cricket Club and Thornleigh Cricket Club.

Sixers sponsor Belong is donating $100 per boundary during the BBL season to support grassroots cricket in NSW.

Originally published as Steve Smith says he would have succeeded as Test opener if he had continued in the role