Even as the uncertainty over Steve Smith’s opening role in Test cricket prevails, Australia skipper Pat Cummins backed his all-rounder Cameroon Green to be in the top six ahead of the gruelling five-Test rubber against India this summer.

Cummins expects his all-rounders Green and Mitchell Marsh to play a key role in ensuring the workload of the first-choice pace attack, comprising himself, Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazlewood, can be managed through five Tests in little more than seven weeks.

Green, who has taken 35 wickets at 35.31 in Tests, slotted back into the side at No. 4 earlier this year and scored an unbeaten 174 against New Zealand in Wellington. However, the retirement of David Warner ensured a permanent slot for the all-rounder in the side. His inclusion also gives the Kangaroos an additional bowling option.

“It’s been huge (having the allrounders). In some ways we haven’t had to use them as much as we thought we would. Which is a great thing. The last couple of summers have been pretty light (with) quick Test matches,” Cummins said.

“I suspect this summer might be a bit different at times. We’ll be drawing on Cam Green and Mitch Marsh a bit more. Even someone like Cam basically started in Shield cricket as a bowler but hasn’t had to bowl heaps in Test matches. Now he is a few years older, I think we will be leaning on him a bit more,” he added.

Green thus finds himself as a frontrunner for the opener’s slot alongside Marsh, although there remains some uncertainty over the structure of Australia’s top six against India with Smith’s opening role still being a subject of debate.

“The first point is they both absolutely make the top six on their batting alone which is a luxury,” Cummins said.

“We’re really lucky that Nathan Lyon bowls plenty of overs, so you don’t necessarily have to have an allrounder, but it makes a big difference to have that fifth bowling option. And with someone like Cam and Mitch we have six bowling options. It’s a really nice thing to have. Top six should always make the team on their batting,” the skipper added.

Cummins said being a bowling captain he understands how his fellow pacers need to manage their workloads.

“It’s nice of them to say that, they’d never say it to my face,” Cummins joked.

“When I’m at the top of their mark asking them to do something, they know I’m also doing it down the other end and wouldn’t ask for something I can’t do myself. Maybe there’s a bit of built-up trust over the last decade or so,” he added.

Cummins is currently early in a two-month stretch without bowling having been left out of the limited-overs tour of the UK.