"If I'm the opposition, I want him opening the batting" - Tim Paine on Steve Smith
Former Australian captain Tim Paine believes he would wish for Steven Smith to open the innings in Test cricket if he were the opposition as they can get the ace batter out at the earliest only with the new ball.
Smith's foray into the opening position hasn't gone according to the plan. Having batted across eight innings as an opener, the right-handed batter averages only 28.50 with a solitary half-century and managed only 51 runs in four innings during the recently concluded New Zealand tour.
Speaking on ESPN's Around The Wicket, Paine believes bowlers will be at their freshest with the new ball and have a better chance of getting Smith's wicket earlier if he continues to open for Australia in Tests.
"I look at it, that if I was playing against Australia, where would I prefer Steve Smith to bat? If I'm the opposition, I want him opening the batting. I want my best bowlers at their freshest with a brand-new ball. I was in that Ashes in 2019 and went to England with him in another one and when he was at his best batting at four you just felt he couldn't get out," Paine said.
However, Paine feels Smith is good enough to succeed at any batting position.
"I would love to see him succeed as an opener, I think he can, there's no doubt about that, he's good enough to bat anywhere, but as an opposition player I want him at the top of the order because that gives me the best chance of getting him out," he added.
Despite Smith's poor returns as an opener, Australian head coach Andrew McDonald hasn't flagged the need for changes ahead of the home series against India.
"You'll see him come out next summer and dominate" - Tim Paine on Steve Smith
Paine further claimed that Smith has earned the right to bat at any position he wishes to, saying:
"I don't think anything changes. [Smith] is probably one of three or four players who has ever played for Australia who can probably do what he's doing at the moment. He's earned the right, in my opinion, to bat wherever he wants and if he wants, and is driven enough, to be Australia's Test opener I think he'll make it work and you'll see him come out next summer and dominate."
Should Australia feel the need for a specialist opener, they could recall Cameron Bancroft into the side.