Smith all but guaranteed to open in India Tests

Australia’s selectors have all but guaranteed Steve Smith will stay at the top of the order for next summer’s Tests against India, leaving a race among the next rank to be called up whenever Smith or Usman Khawaja decide to retire.

Smith’s indifferent returns opening the batting across four Tests against West Indies and New Zealand on some lively pitches have been considered too small a sample size for the panel to move him down the order, where space had been created for Cameron Green’s recall.

And in naming the Cricket Australia contract list for the next season, selection chair George Bailey characterised the battle between the likes of Matt Renshaw, Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Nathan McSweeney as one for the next vacant spot whenever that becomes available.

After David Warner’s exit from the Test team in January, 37-year-old Khawaja is expected to be the next top order player to call time on his career, although as the leading opener around the world over the past two years, he will also be eager to add considerably to his tally of 73 Tests. Smith, 34, has similarly kept his counsel as to when he will finish up.

Bailey said: “I think given the performances of the team over a period of time, the onus is on those outside to make a really compelling case of why someone should be displaced, and I do think the guys we’ve got there are in the team for a reason.

“I don’t think there’s a big enough sample size to be running a line through Steven at the top of the order. We’ve seen some stuff there that we really like, and I think the whole purpose of that was working out how we could work that top six to function as well as it can.

“I think there’s some improvement to come there, and I think India will be a huge challenge across the summer.

“That top seven, they’re all very good players, they’ve all had great performances at different times across a long period of time, so we continue to back them and expect them to perform.

“It’s hard trying to project forward to something that’s nine or 10 months away … but I don’t think our thinking around it will change – it’ll be around trying to get the best six together and making sure they function well together.”

None of Renshaw, the reserve batter in New Zealand, Harris, Bancroft or McSweeney were offered contracts for the next 12 months, reflecting the impact of a Twenty20 World Cup on contract places that went to the likes of Matt Short and Nathan Ellis.

However, Bailey made it clear there was an opportunity for one of those players to step up at the start of next summer via Sheffield Shield and Australia A duty, given a specialist top order player is the most likely option for the team beyond Khawaja.

“I think it’s open for anyone to jump up and grab the opportunity,” Bailey said. “We were really clear with Matt and the other guys who missed out as well that it was a really close decision to take him on that New Zealand tour,.

Matt Renshaw.

“It’s going to be a huge start to the summer. India are coming out, and they’re going to send out an A team as well, so there’s going to be a couple of really strong A games to start the year. I’ve been clear with a number of players that there’s going to be great opportunities come the start of the year.

“I don’t necessarily think we’ve got a Cam Green waiting outside the 11, but we’ve got some really good players. Marcus Harris is one who has come off contract, but he’s firmly in that mix as well. Cam Bancroft, and I think Nathan McSweeney’s had a wonderful season as well.”

Michael Neser was another to miss out on one of the 23 contracts handed out, though Bailey stressed this was more a systemic function of the contract rankings across red and white ball cricket. Jhye Richardson landed a CA deal despite a wretched recent run with injury, underlining his multi-format value for the selectors.

So too did the allrounder Aaron Hardie and the young swing bowler Xavier Bartlett, who nabbed some startling figures in the white ball games against West Indies at the back end of the international summer.

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