Don't judge opener Steve Smith harshly, says Australia coach Andrew McDonald.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald believes it is too early to judge Steve Smith as a Test opener and has made it clear that changes in the batting order are unlikely before India visit at the end of the year.
India will visit Australia between November this year and January, 2025, to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which they have retained in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
Smith, one of the world's best batsmen over the last decade, replaced David Warner at the top of the order on the veteran's retirement from Tests in January, allowing all-rounder Cameron Green to slot in at number four.
But his raw numbers remained modest since that promotion up the order.
The 34-year-old has managed just one fifty, an unbeaten 91 against Windies at Brisbane, while making scores of 12, 11, 6, 31, 0, 11 and 9 in the rest of the innings, averaging 28.5 with a high score of 91 not out in four Tests. But in the absence of any other glaring weaknesses in the team, has come under scrutiny for his 51 runs over four innings in two tests against New Zealand.
"I think it's unfair," McDonald told reporters after Australia swept New Zealand 2-0.
"I don't think it's deserved. I think he'll be able to work through that. It's a new challenge for him, a new position.
"If you bring in a new opener and you gave them four Test matches, and then said, 'okay, we're going to shift that after four Test matches', would you think that's fair or unfair? I think it's reasonably unfair."
McDonald echoed skipper Pat Cummins's view that Smith remains one of the six best batsmen in Australia and said the batting group would be "hard to infiltrate".
"He is a great player and his ability to problem solve is one of his great strengths," he added.
"There will be a debate as to what his best position is ... but he's up for the challenge, and I think any time that Steve Smith fails, he sees it as a greater challenge.
"So walking away here with 51 runs under his belt in tough conditions, that will no doubt drive him for the next challenge and that next challenge is India. They await, and I think it will be an internal motivator for him.
"He wants to open, it's a position that he came to us around, and we think he can make it work."
India are scheduled to play five tests in Australia in December and January.
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting backed Smith to play in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
"You love having guys like him around because of the experience and the calming influence that you can have around a team during a World Cup. But the other thing you always have to be mindful of is what role can he play? So I would think if Steve Smith does find his way into the squad, I don't think he will be in the starting XI," Ponting was quoted by ICC as saying.
Ponting added that he would keep Smith in the T20 World Cup squad but not in the playing eleven.
"And I think that's probably been shown the last couple of weeks with the series they just played in New Zealand. I think he opened the batting in a couple of those games, but not all of those games and they're sort of spreading the load around a little bit trying to find their right combination, but would I have him in the squad? I think I'd have him in the squad, but he wouldn't be in my starting XI," he added.
