‘There’s probably no one you want out there more’: Marnus Labuschange on Steve Smith replacing David Warner as Australia’s Test opener

Steve Smith is one of the prolific runscorers for Australia, especially in red-ball cricket. He is one of those rare players in the modern era who has excelled with the bat in all the conditions around the world. With David Warner finished playing his final test in Sydney this week, all eyes are now on who would replace that spot for the next series against West Indies.

A few names like Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matt Renshaw have been thrown out. Recently, Smith’s name has come into contention on that list. The debate began after his comments on ABC Radio. “I’m actually happy to go up the top,” Smith said.

The 34-year-old has yet to open up in international cricket. When asked about it, Smith’s teammate Marnus Labuschange responded, “There’s probably no one you want out there more.”

“He averages 67 at four, 62 at three, 58 at five,” he added.

Labuschange even says, “I’m sure if we go down that path and give it to him, he’s going to average in the 60s opening.”

Facing a brand new red ball is one of the difficult challenges, especially in conditions where the pitch has some grass left on it, and the ball tends to move. Labuschange speaks about Smith is technically equipped to face the new cherry; he said, “It could be one that gets him out and gets his beans going, out (to bat) straightaway, ball swinging around and nipping around, he’s got a beautiful technique to combat any type of bowling.”

However, head coach Andrew Mcdonald has not given any clues on who would take that spot. “He’s mentioned it throughout the last couple of weeks,” Mcdonald said during a post-match press conference.

“He’s put his view forward, and we will consider all options,” he added.

However, The Australian coach also mentions creating a hole at number four by pushing him to open. “Steve at [number] three or four is pretty appetising also. You’ve got to make sure you’re not removing the strengths of the team in the search to fill a gap also, so there’s a balance within that.”

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