Australia will unleash its new-look XI on Wednesday at the Adelaide Oval as the first Test against the West Indies begins (first ball 10.30am AEDT).
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl first under grey skies, meaning Steve Smith will have to wait for his first chance to open the batting.
It is the first time since losing heavily to the West Indies in 1980 that Australia has won the toss and elected to bowl first in Adelaide.
Australia also lost in England to Adelaide the year before having sent its rival in to bat first.
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West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite was pleased with the decision, saying he would have elected to bat first had he won the toss.
But Fox Cricket’s Brett Lee backed Cummins’ gamble.
“I think it’s a great call, I think it’s the right call,” he said.
“Aussies to set the tone first and get that opportunity with this brand new ball.”
The decision will, however, alleviate some of the pressure on Smith who will open the batting for Australia in place of the retired David Warner.
Warner bid farewell to the game’s longest format in Sydney last week, paving the way for Smith to move up the order.
Cameron Green was re-called at No.4, allowing Australia to field what it believes are its six best batters.
The West Indies, meanwhile, are playing three debutants in Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves and Shamar Joseph.
PLAYING XIs
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach
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Australian cricket great Kerry O’Keeffe believes Cameron Green must “deliver immediately” after securing his preferred spot at No. 4 in the batting order.
With Steve Smith’s promotion to the top of the order, Green was brought back into the team but at a slightly higher position compared to fifth or sixth, the spot where he has usually batted.
Green has previously spoken about his struggles when trying to find a rhythm lower down the order, a somewhat strong comment from the 24-year-old.
But now that he has his chance to shine in his preferred spot in the order, O’Keeffe felt the Perth native must prove why he deserves to be at No. 4.
“Well, he’s almost got to deliver immediately,” O’Keeffe told Test Daily.
“The fact that he’s said, ‘I felt rushed at five and six,’ is a jarring note.
“He’s a generational player. He averages, what, mid-30s?
“He really now has to start to do the business at four. It’s a senior position, his fellow players trust him to be the man. He has to start against the West Indies attack, which is not top notch but is not too bad either.
“Cameron Green has to fire almost immediately because the team has been constructed around him batting at four.
“He has to deliver and deliver early.”
‘Made sense’ Pat backs Smith/Green combo | 01:33
‘NOT SURE ABOUT IT’: AUSSIE GREAT’S DOUBT AS CUMMINS SHUTS DOWN SELECTION CONSPIRACY
Adam Gilchrist has cast doubt over the team’s explanation of Steve Smith’s elevation to the top of the order, suggesting the move says more about Australia’s “progressive” approach under skipper Pat Cummins.
Smith opens a new chapter in his 13-year Test career on Wednesday when he opens the batting for the first time alongside Usman Khawaja in the series opener against West Indies, replacing David Warner.
National selection boss George Bailey said earlier in the week that Australia was “trying to pick our best six batters” as opposed to leaning towards an experienced option at the top of the order.
Gilchrist though said on Fox Cricket ahead of Perth’s BBL game against the Sixers that he was “not sure about” that line.
“Are they saying that we’ve never done that before? I think we’ve always tried to pick the two best openers and then you have different specific batting positions,” he said.
“What this tells me is this team are saying, ‘We are versatile, we don’t conform to expectations – be it external or what history tells you you should do. What we have here is a player in the form of Steve Smith that is energised by this. We believe he’s good enough to do the job’.
“And I think he will, I think he will be very successful. But I just think that under Pat’s leadership they’re a progressive and modern team that say, ‘We’re going to do it the way we believe, trust us, leave it with us and let’s see how we go’ and to this point we can’t question anything they’ve done. They are top of the world.”
Smith’s elevation to opening came after the run-machine suggested the move to selectors and Cummins is confident it could work in Australia’s favour.
Green was expecting to open for Aussies | 02:13
“It’s a new challenge for him which I don’t think you can underestimate,” he said.
“I’ve never seen him as happy and as energetic as he’s been around the nets the last couple of days. He can’t wait to get out there.
“Seeing someone who’s basically achieved everything in the game get really excited for a new challenge, you’ve got to entertain that.”
Meanwhile, Cummins told overlooked opener Cameron Bancroft he could be back playing for Australia “pretty soon” after reassuring the West Australian a line had not been put through his name for national selection.
There was statewide outcry in the west when Bancroft, the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield the past two seasons, was not called up to play the West Indies as David Warner’s replacement.
Instead Smith was elevated to opener with Cameron Green to bat at number four, a move which sparked conspiracy theories linking Bancroft’s snub to comments he made about the Australian bowler’s involvement in the sandpaper incident in South Africa in 2018.
But Cummins, who was one of the bowlers who made a joint statement denying any knowledge of the Cape Town disgrace, called Bancroft to let him know his non-selection was purely about picking the best six batters, and his time would come.
Smith expects more as batting opener | 02:32
“Yeah, I’ve got absolutely no issues with Bangers, love what he brings,” Cummins said in Adelaide on Thursday.
“(I told him) ‘just don’t change. We’ve loved playing with you in the past and keep doing your thing. I’m sure you’ll be back in Aussie colours pretty soon.”
Selection chief George Bailey also dismissed the sandpaper incident, and the fallout, as having anything to do with Bancroft not being picked.
Cummins also called Marcus Harris, who was given a Cricket Australia contract and had been pumped up by Warner as his likely successor, before he too was snubbed.
“Called them both. Yeah, obviously private phone calls but no real surprises. Just (that) we love what they both are doing in first-class cricket. We love what they bring to any side they’re playing. They’re doing all the right things,” Cummins said.
“Unfortunately, they both just missed out on this one. So message was ‘don’t change we’re loving what you’re doing and international cricket, there’s always injuries or you know, these guys aren’t going to be around forever.
“Marcus and Cameron are still relatively young as is Renners. So once that opening comes up at some point, any one of them we’re confident can jump straight in and do a really good job.”
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