Smith confirmed for middle-order return to face India

Steve Smith's short stint as Test opener is over with national selection chair George Bailey confirming he'll resume his position in the middle order.

Smith moved up to open after David Warner's retirement following the Sydney Test match last summer.

In just his second match in his new role he carried his bat with an outstanding 91 not out in the loss to West Indies in Brisbane but struggled in the New Zealand series that followed, scoring 51 runs in four innings.

Cameron Green, who had filled Smith's role at No.4 with aplomb, has been ruled out of the summer after opting for back surgery, leaving selectors with a bit of flexiblity in the order.

Bailey confirmed on Monday that team leaders Pat Cummins and Andrew McDonald have made the decision to get the 35-year-old back to his preferred No.4 slot.

"Pat, Andrew and Steve Smith had been having ongoing convers, separate to the untimely injury to Cameron (Green)," Bailey told reporters.

"Steve had expressed a desire to move back down from that opening position, and Pat and Andrew have confirmed that he will be dropping back down the order for the summer."

Confirmation of Smith's return to the middle order – where it's all but inconceivable he would bat anywhere other than the No.4 spot – turns up the spotlight on the Australia A series where top-order bats will vie for the now-vacant position.

Teenage sensation Sam Konstas has rocketed into Test calculations on the back of twin centuries in the Sheffield Shield that secured him a spot in the 17-player Australia A squad.

It was only the 19-year-old's fifth first-class match, making him the youngest to hit twin tons in a Shield game since an 18-year-old Ricky Ponting did it in 1993.

One sunny match doesn't make a summer but Konstas is riding a wave that has him alongside fellow Australia A squad members Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, as well as Queensland's Matthew Renshaw, who is not in the 'A' squad, as considerations for a Baggy Green call-up.

Harris began the season with his 29th first-class century, 143 against Tasmania at Junction Oval, while Bancroft had a match to forget against Queensland, out for a duck in both innings, and Renshaw fared little better out for six and 15.

NRMA Insurance Men's Test Series v India

First Test: November 22-26: Perth Stadium, 1.20pm AEDT

Second Test: December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (D/N)

Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane, 11.20am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT