Steven Smith projected a sense of calm sitting in front of a huge media throng as Australia 's captain on the eve of a home Ashes series .

He's been there and done this many times before. But this is a little different. That Smith was sitting there as the stand-in captain was not plan A for Australia.

That they are playing without two of their big three fast bowlers, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood , in a home Test for the first time since 2022 was definitely not plan B.

That they have picked two players, Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald , to debut in the same Test for the first time since 2019, and a seventh different opening partner for Usman Khawaja in 16 Tests, was not even plan C.

Australia are unsettled and vulnerable. But while there is a popular belief, at lea

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