Smith comes clean on his move down the Test batting order as contenders fail auditions

Steve Smith has lifted the lid on his backflip from Test opener to number four against India this summer, insisting he was swayed by top-order teammates Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne to recommend the change to team leaders.

As first revealed by this masthead, both Khawaja and Labuschagne were outspoken in their view to Smith that they preferred to see him bat after them in the order.

This led Smith to tell captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald – when asked for his preferred spot – that he was happiest at four. Smith denied assertions that he had pushed for the move, claiming he was willing to bat wherever the team needed.

NSW young gun Sam Konstas bats at the MCG.Credit: Getty Images

“I got asked where I’d prefer to bat and I said four,” Smith said after making just three for NSW against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield game at the MCG. “I also said I’m happy batting wherever – I’m not really too fussed – and got asked where my preference would be, and I said four.

“I saw a few things last week saying I requested to bat at four – that wasn’t the case. I said I’m happy to bat wherever you’d like me to bat, but four would be my ideal position. There’s a spot there now with Greeny out, and I think just conversations we had after New Zealand, with particularly Marnus and Uzzy, they hated me up top to be honest – they wanted me behind them, that was a big part of it.”

Asked about why Khawaja and Labuschagne had expressed such strong views, Smith said the incumbent opener and number three wanted to have “security” behind them in the order.

“They call it security behind them, in a way,” Smith said. “Ask them about it, but they were pretty strong on me not batting there.

“I’m not really fussed where I bat, but the conversations with the other guys, they didn’t really like it at all – they wanted some security behind them where I’ve done really well for a number of years, and I can understand that as well.”

When announcing that Smith would go back down the order, selection chair George Bailey had emphasised the former captain’s role in discussions, which took place before Cameron Green’s back surgery opened up room in the top six.

“Pat, Andrew and Steven Smith have been having ongoing conversations separate to the untimely injury to Cameron anyway, and Steve had expressed a desire to move back down from that opening position,” Bailey said last week. “Pat and Andrew have confirmed he’ll be dropping back down the order for the summer. Clearly we’ve got a number four spot to fill and an opening spot to fill.”

Victoria’s Scott Boland dismisses Sam Konstas, of NSW, lbw for 2 in the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG.Credit: cricket.com.au

Selector Tony Dodemaide was joined at the MCG on Monday by Australia’s head coach McDonald for a close look at teenager Sam Konstas, senior pro Smith, and their seam bowling opponents Scott Boland and Fergus O’Neill.

After NSW were bowled out for 136, Mitchell Starc’s speed and hostility reduced Victoria to 4-32, a hole from which they recovered to 4-90 by stumps, a lead of 226 overall.

Starc’s wobble seam delivery to Ash Chandrasinghe bit back like a viper to send the bails flying, before Campbell Kellaway was beaten by pace and Test opening contender Marcus Harris by bounce, gloving down the leg side for the second time in the game.

Konstas and Harris, a tyro and a seasoned campaigner, are the two clearest contenders should the selectors choose to pick a specialist opener to fill the spot vacated by the injured Green. But nether have advanced their claims particularly far on an MCG pitch that has aided seam.

After this game, both Konstas and Harris will turn out for Australia A in a game against India A in Mackay. It’s a fixture that is assuming more vital proportions with each innings that passes, without one candidate putting space between themselves and the rest.

For Konstas, the day-two audition was startlingly short. His first ball from Boland beat the edge and shaved narrowly past the off stump, almost as if to say “welcome to the big time, Sam”.

Another delivery was edged short of the slips cordon.

Boland then arrowed in on Konstas’ front pad and the stumps on his favourite MCG hunting ground, and won an lbw verdict when the 19-year-old had made just two from 10 balls, propping forward a little like his mentor Shane Watson once did.

Steve Smith was removed cheaply at the MCG on Monday.Credit: Getty Images

Instinctively, Konstas gestured with his glove that the ball may have been veering past leg stump, and replays indicated that was undoubtedly plausible.

Boland, angling in and seaming further, is a past master of finding the pads in front of the stumps.

“He got a bit unlucky there I reckon, looked like it might’ve been darting down leg a little bit,” Smith said of Konstas. “I would’ve liked to see a bit more of him in the middle, but what I have seen is he’s got a lot of time, he’s very organised … he’s a bright prospect.”

Smith clipped his first ball from Boland through mid-wicket with ease, but there was very little comfort in the rest of his stay.

It was O’Neill, hitting a handkerchief around the off stump, who posed most problems, and Smith faced 28 consecutive dot balls on the way to a glove down the leg side and a brisk march off the field.

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