Not Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja picks this batter his opening partner for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024

Australian opener Usman Khawaja wants Travis Head to join him as an opener for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. After David Warner's retirement, Cricket Australia promoted Steve Smith to open alongside Khawaja. However, the right-handed batter failed to fit in the new role. He just scored 171 runs at a modest average of 28.50 across four matches. 
 

Khawaja reckoned that for the team to maximize its run-scoring potential, Smith should bat at No. 4—a position where he has excelled, averaging an impressive 61.50 and amassing 5,966 runs from 67 Tests.

"He'll just probably never say it. So I'll say it for him. Opening is a very important spot (but) I still think we have the best Test player of my era in the side, Steve Smith, and his best spot has been number four. I feel like that's his best spot. I feel like the best balance for our team is (Marnus) Labuschagne three, Smith four. For me, the number one consideration is 'what's best for the team?'. What order scores us the most runs? And if you look at how many runs we scored with David Warner in the team and Smith batting at four, we scored a lot of runs," Khawaja said quoted CricketPakistan.

"With Smith opening, we've still won games, but I don't think we've scored as many runs as we could've. And when things are in his favour, he's almost unstoppable," he added.

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Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 will be hosted by Australia later this year where both India and Australia will play five Test matches where the Men in Blue will look for a hattrick of win on Australian soil. Khawaja reckoned that Head will replicate his white ball opening performance in red-ball cricket as well. 

"At the end of the day, it's a decision for the selectors. But if you have me opening, Labuschagne three, Smith four, I feel like Travis Head might be best suited. He's obviously been very successful opening the batting in one-day cricket and, breaking it down, I'd probably lean towards him," he concluded.
 

Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 schedule

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will kick off on November 22 at Optus Stadium in Perth. The series will feature a day-night Test in Adelaide on December 6th. The remaining matches will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane (December 14th), Melbourne Cricket Ground (December 26th), and Sydney (January 3).
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