Anything Steve Smith fails.....: Australian coach McDonald on star batter's struggles as opener

MELBOURNE: Australian head coach Andrew McDonald has backed struggling Steve Smith to come good in his new role as an opening batter, saying that the failures and the upcoming tour of Indian team to Australia will serve as motivating influences. Smith has been struggling as an opener. During the recently-concluded two-Test series against New Zealand, he could score just 51 runs in four innings at an average of 12.75, with the best score of 31.

In four Tests he has opened in so far, Smith has scored 171 runs at an average of 28.50, with his knock of 91* against West Indies as a solitary half-century. McDonald was quoted as saying to cricket.com.au, "He is up for the challenge. I think anytime that Steve Smith fails he sees it as a greater challenge. So obviously 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, and they await. I think it will be an internal motivator for him. He wants to open. It is a position that he came to us around and we think he can make it work."

"He is a great player and his ability to problem solve is one of his great strengths. He has been challenged in these conditions. The surfaces have been new-ball wickets, and no doubt there will be a debate as to what his best position is," added McDonald.

Smith on the other hand has a fantastic record on number four position, a position where he has played for 67 Tests. In these matches, he has scored 5,966 runs at an average of 61.50, with 19 centuries and 26 fifties in 111 innings. His best score is 239. With the series against India coming at the year-end, McDonald said that most likely there will be no changes in the current line-up.

"It is going to be a hard group to infiltrate. It will take something special I think. I think four Test matches is still a rather small sample size. We are trying to make sure that we get the best top-six batters, plus Alex Carey is an extension of that. How we stack them is always going to be a debate," said McDonald.

"That is not to say there won't be changes, but at the moment we have won two-nil here, and had a 12 Test run where we won eight with (four) of those being away (in England and NZ)," concluded. Australia's next challenge will be the ICC T20 World Cup, starting from June 1 in West Indies and USA. Australia is in Group B with England, Oman, Namibia, Scotland and will be starting their campaign against Oman on June 5.