Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has backed his team's batting unit despite back-to-back collapses against South Africa, maintaining that the tourists leave the series in a stronger batting position than when they arrived in Cape Town. Speaking after the series defeat, McDonald pointed to the returns of Cameron Green and Josh Inglis as reasons for optimism heading into a demanding home summer.

McDonald's case for optimism

The Australian coach was candid about the team's struggles but insisted the experience of playing in difficult overseas conditions would prove valuable. Josh Inglis cemented his place in the side with two away Test hundreds during the tour — a significant milestone given how testing foreign conditions can be.

'It's still a very good cricket team with a lot of very good players in there, and some … (who) will be acknowledged as legends of the game,' McDonald said. 'We've got to balance that out with who comes in, what the next decisions are. If you looked at the batting unit, I think we walk away in a stronger position (than at the start of the South Africa tour).'

He noted that Cameron Green's contribution was curtailed by injury early in the series, leaving the middle order short of its full complement at a crucial stage.

Steve Smith's fitness and Perth Test plans

Steve Smith missed the series-deciding Newlands Test after failing a final fitness assessment, despite attempting to play through a neck problem with a pain-killing injection. McDonald confirmed the decision to withdraw was ultimately Smith's own, and said the priority now is understanding and resolving the issue before the home summer.

'All I'll say is the medical team and Steve gave it every chance, and that's all you can do. The next morning … he wasn't ready to play. He acknowledged that — and we do put a lot of trust into our players, in particular our senior players who know their bodies quite well,' McDonald said.

The coach confirmed Australia are planning for Smith to feature in the first Test against New Zealand in Perth next month, with Shield cricket pencilled in as part of his preparation. 'I've got no knowledge to the counter of that,' McDonald said. 'So yes, we are planning for him to play against New Zealand, Test in Perth.'

Australia captain Pat Cummins also backed Smith's decision to withdraw at the last minute, calling him 'the best player in the world' and expressing disappointment at his absence.

Labuschagne under scrutiny

McDonald acknowledged that Marnus Labuschagne had failed to convert his opportunities on the South Africa tour, though he stopped short of writing off the batter's international future. 'We believed in "Marn" for this tour,' McDonald said. 'We'll have to reassess that as we move forward … There's still a very good cricketer there. Every time he drops back to state level, he outperforms the others … But he hasn't taken his opportunity on this tour.'

Notably, Labuschagne's struggles come at a time when competition for middle-order spots is intensifying, with Inglis staking a strong claim and Green fit again — raising questions for selectors ahead of the New Zealand series.

What's next for Australia

Australia now shift focus to a four-Test home series against New Zealand, with Smith's fitness and the team's middle-order combination the two headline issues for the selection panel. With Smith expected to play Shield cricket before the first Test in Perth, the coming weeks will be critical in determining Australia's optimal batting line-up for the summer ahead.