[Watch] Legendary Tennis player Novak Djokovic bowls to Steve Smith
Iconic Australian cricketer Steve Smith faced the bowling of legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Thursday (January 11) at a charity event ahead of the 2024 Australian Open. The first Grand Slam of the calendar will commence this Sunday (January 14) and go on for two weeks.
Ahead of the main event, Djokovic participated in a charity event and played singles and mixed doubles matches with his peers. Steve Smith was also in attendance at the Rod Laver Arena and participated in the event.
He bowled a few balls to Novak Djokovic, who tried to play some big shots. Smith then faced a few deliveries from Djokovic and hit one into the crowd.
You can watch the video below:
Steve Smith set to open the batting for Australia in the upcoming Test series vs West Indies
Veteran opening batter David Warner bid farewell to Test cricket last week after the Sydney Test against Pakistan. It opened up a slot in the Australian Test playing XI ahead of their upcoming home series against the West Indies.
Steve Smith, who has tasted immense success at number 3 and 4 positions in the batting line-up, recently expressed interest in moving up to the vacant opening position. He is all set to get the chance, as Australian chief selector George Bailey confirmed on Wednesday that Smith will open in the first Test against the West Indies, which commences on January 17.
"Tongue in cheek I could say everything’s an experiment", Bailey said. "That’s been part of the discussions with Steve, I believe he’s keen for this to be a significant chapter of his career. We don’t look too far ahead… (but) for all intents and purposes this is where Steve wants to stay."
He added:
“It’s selfless that someone who has had so much success in one position or a couple of positions in the middle order is open and willing and hungry to have a crack at something new and something different."
Do you think Smith will succeed as a Test opener? Let us know your views on the matter in the comments section.