Win Projections to be updated soon
Melbourne, 7 October 2025:
Steve Smith could bat at No. 3 in this summer’s Ashes, with Australian selectors weighing a top-order reshuffle that may see Cameron Green slide to No. 4 and Marnus Labuschagne promoted to open against England, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Less than two years after an unsuccessful attempt to open with Smith, selectors are again considering shifting Australia’s most dependable batter up one spot from No. 4 to strengthen the order’s balance.
While no formal decision has been made, sources told The Herald that Smith is being seriously discussed as a No. 3 option for the opening Test in Perth on Nov. 21. The 36-year-old last batted first drop for Australia in 2017 but boasts an impressive record there, averaging 67.07 with eight centuries from 29 innings.
Smith, currently in New York following a stint in The Hundred, is due back in Australia next week and is expected to feature in two Sheffield Shield matches — against Queensland at the Gabba (Oct. 28–31) and Victoria at the SCG (Nov. 10–13) — before the Ashes.
Selectors are expected to consult Smith, who has long preferred batting at No. 4 but previously agreed to open during four Tests against the West Indies and New Zealand last year.
Green, who last batted at No. 4 in a Test against New Zealand in early 2024, made modest scores for Western Australia in the current Shield season. Although Pat Cummins earlier suggested Green could become Australia’s long-term No. 3, figures close to the team reportedly believe he is better suited to No. 4.
Meanwhile, Labuschagne has bolstered his Ashes case with a fluent 160 for Queensland against Tasmania. His omission from the ODI squad to face India later this month will allow him to continue in the Shield and strengthen his bid for a Test recall.
Selectors are also monitoring opening options after Sam Konstas managed only 4 and 14 in the recent Shield match in Perth. Labuschagne’s experience and steadiness at the top could make him a compelling alternative.
Josh Hazlewood praised Labuschagne’s resilience, saying, “Any time a batsman goes through a period like that, you always want to see him bounce back. He’s probably one of the hardest trainers in the group.”
Australia’s ODI squad for the India series later this month includes Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, while Cummins continues his recovery from a back injury. Green has been left out of the T20 squad to focus on his Shield commitments for WA.
