Shane Watson, former Australian cricketer, has weighed Steve Smith‘s return to his desired position in the red-ball cricket for Australia in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He also acknowledged Steve Smith‘s potential and ability of scoring big runs regardless of his batting position but the former pointed out his weakness, for which Steve Smith failed to perform as an opener.
It should be noted that the former Australian skipper Steve Smith has decided to be back at No. 4 in the high octane five-match Test series against India, which will take off in Perth on November 22. He had jumped into the opening spot after the retirement of the dynamic opener David Warner, failed to mark an impression at the top, and just managed to score 171 runs at an poor average of 28.50 in four outings.
The 35-year-old batter has scored a mountain of runs at No. 4, where he has scored 5966 runs in 67 Tests at an average of 61.50 including 19 tons and 26 half-centuries.
Steve Smith loves scoring regardless of his batting position- Shane Watson
Speaking to Willow Talk Cricket Podcast, Shane Watson backs his former colleague Steve Smith for scoring big runs against India in the upcoming five-match Test series.
“Steve wanted to open. He was super keen to take up a new challenge. But one thing with that opportunity he had was he wasn’t actually batting at his best at that time. So he got an opportunity to open and Steve Smith at his very best would have made the most out of it because he just loves scoring runs whether it is opening or at No. 4,” said Shane Watson.
“You could see a few times he got out when he was opening — his game and his technique was a little bit off,” he added.
It looked like the very best of him – Shane Watson on Steve Smith’s knock against Pakistan
Team India in a spot of bother
Steve Smith loves playing against India, has scored 2,042 runs in 19 Tests with the help of nine hundreds and five fifties. He will be eager to play against the Men in Blue to score big runs against them. Steve Smith has been a challenge for Team India.
With the series loss against the Blackcaps at home by 0-3, Men in Blue finds themselves in a very difficult situation, they have to win 4 matches out of 5 to qualify for the World Test Championship final, which is set to be played in England next year. As of now, it seems quite difficult for Team India but it is not impossible as they have already done in Past.
The first Test match of the series is set to be played in Perth from November 22 at Optus Stadium. The Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is set to miss the first Test due the birth of his second child and in the absence of the Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah will lead the Team India in the first Test. Along with their regular captain, star batter Shubman Gill will also miss the first test due to an injury to his fingers.
As Rohit Sharma will not be part of the seires opener, the former skipper Virat Kohli have to do the heavy lifting for the Men in Blue against the mighty Australian side. Australian pace trio Josh Hazelwood, their skipper Pat Cummins and left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc will possess great challanges against Virat Kohli.
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