Debutant Shamar Joseph gave the West Indies some hope after taking two top-order wickets during Australia's reply to the visitors' first innings total of 188 in the opening Test in Adelaide Wednesday.

Steve Smith said Sunday he felt obligated to step up and replace David Warner as Australia's Test opener, but also admitted it suited him because he got bored waiting to come in at four.

Australia has named a 13-player squad to face the West Indies, with the two-match series beginning on 17 January.

Smith got a rousing endorsement from teammate Marnus Labuschagne, who believes Smith would average in the 60s as an opener

"Any sort of moment you can get to have a few days or a week just to get away from the game and get your mental side back to a position where you can go out and perform internationally, it's important," he said.

To accommodate Head in the XI, Steve Smith, Australia’s designated one-down batsman, is likely to drop down to No. 4

The three ODIs, which will be played between Sept. 22-27 in Mohali, Indore and Rajkot, will serve as a tune-up for the 50-over World Cup which begins on Oct. 5.

Governing body Cricket Australia had recommended the use of neck protectors since the death of Phillip Hughes in 2014 but a number of top batsmen, including David Warner and Steve Smith, have resisted wearing them.

Australia batter Steve Smith and fast bowler Mitchell Starc have been ruled out of the white-ball series in South Africa through injuries, but both are expected to be back in action in India next month.

Steve Smith will open the batting when Australia meet South Africa in an upcoming Twenty20 series, selectors said, putting him in the box seat to do the job alongside David Warner at next year's World Cup.

But when Smith takes the field at Yorkshire's headquarters on Thursday for the third match of the Ashes series he will be winning his 100th cap as arguably the outstanding batsman of his generation

"Hopefully I won't have to bowl too much," he told reporters, having stepped in just before the close of the second day of the second Ashes test to relieve Australia's tired fast bowlers following an injury to their regular spinner Nathan Lyon

As commentator Daniel Norcross told the BBC: "He is the scourge of the English. He is the modern-day Bradman."

The WTC final and Ashes series are taking place amid fears the future of the long-format game could be threatened by the growth of global franchise Twenty20 cricket, with top players set to be offered year-round contracts across multiple leagues

"Namaste, India. I've got some exciting news for you: I'm joining IPL 2023," Smith, 33, said in the video posted on his social media pages on Monday.

Starc, rattled the Indian batting with his pace and swing to bundle out the opposition for 117 in 26 overs in Visakhapatnam

Paine led Australia between 2018 and 2021 after Steve Smith was stripped of the captaincy in the wake of the "Sandpaper-gate" ball-tampering incident against South Africa.

Smith will stand in for Pat Cummins, who returned home after leading Australia in the first two Test matches to care for his ailing mother who died last week.

India also confirmed their place in the World Test Championship final against Australia in June following Sri Lanka's two-wicket loss to New Zealand in Christchurch earlier in the day

Smith led Australia between 2014 and 2018 before he was stripped off the honour following a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa