Aspirants not knocking hard enough to oust North from Test squad: Langer

Wellington, Mar.18 : Australian batting coach Justin Langer has said that he would be surprised if Western Australian captain Marcus North does not hold his middle-order Test spot ahead of Steve Smith after a sizzling net session at Westpac Stadium here.

''''I''m not a selector, but I really would be amazed if they go for anyone else,'''' the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Langer, as saying.

''''Australia have won five of the last six Test matches and the selectors have shown they''re backing him by having him here. Generally, the selectors are very consistent, and I applaud them for that," Langer added.

''''Steve Smith has done well but no one is really banging the door hard enough to demand that position. If someone out there wants to take Marcus North''s position, bang the door harder,'''' he said.

North is coming off a barren Test series against Pakistan and a disastrous run of low scores for Western Australia, while Smith was blazing away for New South Wales in a flurry of runs and wickets.

But if selectors planned to dump North, the 30-year-old would have been unlikely to make this whistle-stop, two-Test tour at all.

North made three Test hundreds in his first six Tests but his next seven were less productive.

''''If he had gotten three 50s in his first three Test matches he''d be really under the pump now,'''' Langer said.