Green ruled out for six months; Smith to return to No 4

Nine months after Steve Smith was pushed to open the innings for Australia, it has been decided to bring him back to the middle order ©Getty First came the tragic news, that Cameron Green will miss the entire Test summer. Then, the more expected announcement that the Steve Smith Experiment as Test opener had come to a premature end. It’s meant that the 2024-25 Test summer in Australia has started with Smith and Green dominating the headlines, just like they did at the end of the previous summer. It’s been nearly nine months since the former captain had convinced the Australian selectors to let him sacrifice his treasured No 4 position for the talented Western Australian all-rounder to regain his place in the playing XI. And on a day when Green was ruled out for at least six months after deciding to undergo back surgery, it became official that Smith will be back in the middle-order to face the Indians. A switch that turns out, as chief selector George Bailey…