As for Murphy, who took one wicket in the first Test, Smith said that he preferred three specialist spinners in the event of fatigue or unfavourable match-ups.

“Todd, watching him bowl in the nets the other day, he bowled beautifully,” Smith said. “He was coming over the top of the ball and probably found a bit more natural variation as well. I think he’s taken a couple of learnings out of the last game, which he can continue to take if selected in this one.”

Smith confirmed the top six would remain unchanged, meaning another opportunity for Marnus Labuschagne to make a big score at No.3 ahead of Cameron Green’s probable return to the squad in June for the World Test Championship final.

“I thought he played well at the back end of the summer, it looked like he was putting the pressure on the bowlers a bit more, he was proactive in the way he was playing, and he looked good at the start of his last innings here,” Smith said. “The ball he got actually spun a fair bit from [Jeffrey] Vandersay and caught the edge. So he was disappointed to miss out last game, but he’s batting well.

“It’s just playing what’s in front of you. The more difficult the wicket is in terms of how much it is spinning and the inconsistencies, the more aggressive you actually have to be with your batting or the more proactive you have to be.

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“I think when it’s a bit flatter you can almost sit on them a bit and wait for loose balls rather than go and look for them. So I think he understands that, he understands spin and angles and all those things, so I don’t think he’s far away from a good score.”

Josh Inglis’ debut hundred has opened up some conversation around whether he could slot into Carey’s spot, but Smith shot that down by stressing how well the incumbent was keeping wicket and supporting the bowlers.

“He’s keeping as well as I’ve ever seen him keep. He’s been outstanding behind the stumps in all conditions,” Smith said. “I think he’s batting beautifully too, whenever he gets the opportunity he’s putting pressure back on the opposition.

“His method’s super clear in these conditions, he’s arguably one of the best on the horizontal plane that I’ve seen. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s his job.”

Head coach Andrew McDonald earlier stated that Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are both unlikely to be fit for the Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan, and Smith said he was open to captaining the white-ball team to that event.

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