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Steve Smith is open to adjusting his batting position from No.3 if Travis Head returns to the Australian World Cup lineup.
Travis Head had to take a break due to a hand injury he sustained during the South Africa series. Despite this, he remains a part of the World Cup team. With Head sidelined, Mitchell Marsh took on the role of opener against India in the pre-World Cup series.
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Smith, who has been a mainstay at No.3 in ODIs since 2019, boasts an impressive record with 3880 runs from 81 matches at this position, averaging 53.88. Marsh, too, has shown prowess at No.3, particularly in the recent India matches.
The potential return of Head might lead to Marsh moving to No.3, prompting Smith to bat further down. Smith, a key figure in the Australian batting lineup, is amenable to this change.
Citing the West Australian, Smith shared an update on Head's condition: "He's still got a fair way to go before he's potentially even fit, if he is fit," Smith remarked.
Further, Smith acknowledged his fondness for the No.3 spot but expressed his willingness to adapt based on the team's needs. He said, "It'll be interesting. Fingers crossed 'Heady' can come up," and added, "Mitch is batting really nicely up top in a couple of games he's played, Davey's there obviously." He concluded, "Three is my favourite position but I'll bat wherever I suppose if Heady comes back. We'll see how we go," indicating a wait-and-see approach to the situation.
Meanwhile, India skipper Rohit Sharma provided an update on Shubman Gill, "Gill is sick but we haven’t ruled him out. Shubman is sick, me being the human being first, I want him to get well first. He will recover quickly."
India and Australia start their respective ODI World Cup campaign on Sunday, October 8, at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. India will have their full squad but Australia will not have Travis Head in their ranks.
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