Australia is making a hash of the process to fill its long-anticipated opening vacancy

Yesterday got us nowhere. There were failures at every turn.

We followed live as Sam Konstas fell for two against Victoria.

In Queensland, Matt Renshaw made the same score. Cam Bancroft could only manage eight in the west. While back at the MCG, Marcus Harris was dismissed for the second time in the match down the leg side for 16. 

Add to that a duck for Usman Khawaja, a scratchy three for Steve Smith and nine for Mitch Marsh.

Well, none of it was terribly reassuring. Marnus Labuschagne's 22 was the high mark, and at a time when runs are currency, Australia's batters rolled snake eyes. 

Not a run between them it seemed, and by the end of the day it added a bit of soap opera to the opening debate. 

It had the distinct feel, I think, that Australia is making a hash of the process to fill a long-anticipated vacancy. 

There's no question that Steve Smith volunteered the notion of opening the batting last summer. It was never the selectors' idea. We said that at the time, but it became a convenient solution and it was worth a try. 

But you could tell in real time, the chemistry created by the move was all wrong. 

I would have abandoned it ahead of New Zealand, but you couldn't begrudge it playing out across four Tests once the initial decision had been made. 

I read Pat Cummins’ view on batting orders last week - he holds that it’s not that big of a deal.

His quote was: “You’re going to bat at some stage. I know some people have favourite positions, but really, I think the importance of a batting order can be overstated. So I wasn't losing sleep over it, put it that way.”

But batters do lose sleep over it.  A batting lineup is like the showcase on The Price is Right.

There's an order that makes it work and when you get funky with it, it almost never pans out.

As for the soap opera, Smith wants it known that it wasn't his choice, but it is his preference to go back to four.

This was how the chief selector George Bailey announced his move back to four last week: “I think Pat (Cummins), Andrew (McDonald) and Steve Smith have been having ongoing conversations separate to the untimely injury to Cameron (Green) anyway.  I think Steve had expressed a desire to move back down from that opening position, Pat and Andrew have confirmed that he'll be dropping back down the order for the summer. Clearly, we've got a number four spot to fill (with Smith) and an opening spot to fill.”.

Then Smith last night at the close of play at the MCG, he wants it known that this is not his choice.

“There's a spot there now with Greeny out,” Smith said.

“I think just conversations we had after New Zealand with particularly Marnus (Labuschange) and Uzzie (Usman Khawaja) they hated me up top, to be honest, they wanted me behind them. So that was a big part of it. 

“They just like the - what they call it as - security behind them in a way. I don't know, ask them about it. But they were pretty strong on me not batting there. 

“It was good fun having a crack at something new batting up top and I still feel I could do a job there for sure. It was a pretty small sample size but I've done pretty well at four for a number of years now. I feel like it's probably where I can have my best input for this team. 

“I got asked where I'd prefer to bat and I said four, but I also said I'm happy batting wherever I'm not really too fussed. But I got asked where my preference would be and I said four.

“I saw a few things last week saying that I requested to bat at four, that wasn't the case. 

“I said I'm happy to bat wherever you’d like me to bat, but four would be my ideal position.”

A batting order is like the showcase on The Price is Right. Pat Cummins mightn't lose sleep over it, but the batters do.

So what to do? There are two days remaining in this Shield round. 

Konstas will bat again later today, and Bancroft gets another look probably tomorrow. 

The next game starts at the commencement of November and there are two Australia A matches that shape as pivotal. 

Plus there's the ODI series against Pakistan where I do agree with Cummins in that form transposes across formats like never before.  Runs are runs and they'll carry weight like rarely before in the next couple of weeks. 

Keep an eye on Josh Inglis, he’s 72 not out overnight for Western Australia and he'll play under Cummins’ gaze in the ODI series.

What you wouldn't want to have to do is pin yourself to a decision today. 

Australia is going to need all of the next month to be ready for a batting order that's logical, sensible and successful.