Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: 3 opening options for Australia to replace Steve Smith

Steve Smith averages 28 in eight test innings as an opener.

Can it really be called a debate if almost everyone tends to agree on an opinion? Steve Smith as a test opener has not flourished as he was expected to, though the sample size is small, when he made a case for himself to replace the retired David Warner.

In eight test innings of four tests as an opener, Smith has scored 171 runs with only one half-century, a score of 91*, carrying his bat in Australia’s fourth innings in the lost Gabba test against West Indies.

With the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 looming, the question remains whether Smith will open against India at home. If not, then who would the Australian selectors turn to, considering they have already mentioned that none of the domestic openers are the country’s best six test batters at the moment?

3 opening options for Australia to replace Steve Smith:

Cameron Green

After Warner’s retirement announcement and before Steve Smith took up the opening role, Cameron Green’s name was at the forefront to take up the spot once Warner departed. Green even spent time with batting coach Michael Di Venuto facing a new ball during Warner’s retirement test in Sydney.

With Green offering handy medium-pace bowling, he was almost certain to get back in the XI once Warner retired. However, after Smith took up that vacant position, Green was given Smith’s number four slot, where he performed impressively, scoring 174 runs against New Zealand in Wellington.

Now, if Smith returns to his favoured No. 4 position, where would Green go? He could be asked to open: there is a precedent with Shane Watson as being a seam-bowling all-rounder who opened for Australia in tests. This swap between Smith and Green is a likely option as it would not force a change in anyone else’s position.

Marnus Labuschagne

Another swap that Australia could think of is between Labuschagne and Smith. Labuschagne has opened 15 times in First-Class (FC) cricket and has done well in that spot: average of 34.86 with two tons.

He bats at number 3, and more often has to come in the middle early on after the loss of an opener. Thus, Labuschagne has been acting as virtually an opener since his return to the test side in 2019.

Steve Smith has raised eight test hundreds at No. 3 and averages 67.07 in this position. So, this option is also a likely one.

Travis Head

Australia will host India this summer for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and England next summer for the Ashes. With that in mind, they could take a brave option to promote the in-form Travis Head to the opening spot.

This is a boom-or-bust option as Head can be as explosive as Warner, but doesn’t carry that consistency and is more vulnerable compared to Warner.

While Head has been in thunderous form as an opener in white-ball formats, and has been in resounding touch in test cricket as a middle-order batsman, opening in test cricket – where you will have to face the opposition’s best bowlers and the new ball – is a different beast altogether.

Opening with Head seems a hot move on paper, which Australia can still take, but nobody can predict how it would materialize on the field.

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