Questions linger as Weatherald's debut Test series over

Steve Smith believes Jake Weatherald did "a good job" in his first Test series, but stopped short of guaranteeing the left-hander will continue opening the batting for Australia.

The curtain officially came down on Weatherald's debut Test series when he struck a top edge during Australia's successful fourth innings chase in the Ashes series finale on Thursday.

Controversially surviving a review for caught behind on 16, Weatherald managed 34 at the SCG - the latest occasion he made a start without kicking on.

Weatherald averaged 22.33 playing all five Test matches, only passing 35 once as he posted a stylish half-century in the day-night Test at the Gabba.

But statistically, his opening partnership with in-form Travis Head is the most consistent since David Warner's retirement at the end of the 2023-24 home summer.

Australia have played seven different opening partnerships in the past two years, passing 50 runs for the first wicket seven times in that period.

Head and Weatherald were responsible for four of those stands.

"(Weatherald) got some really good starts, he would've loved to have gone on with those but he got us off to some flyers with Trav," Smith said.

"You can kind of build momentum off that, it softens the ball up and helps us all out."

Smith said on Thursday that Head was "pretty much locked away" to continue opening this year after a brilliant Ashes that yielded three centuries.

But he stopped short of saying Weatherald should definitely be given more chances at the top.

"He did a good job (in the Ashes) and it's obviously down to the selectors how they see fit for our next couple of games," Smith said.

Persisting with Weatherald in the short-term would mean playing the 31-year-old in Australia's next Test match series against Bangladesh in August.

That would likely include an emotional chance for Weatherald, who had to wait until he turned 31 for his baggy green, to play Test cricket in his home city of Darwin.

Weatherald is the first born-and-bred Northern Territorian to play Test cricket for Australia.

Damien Martyn was born in Darwin but relocated to Western Australia when he was young.

The opportunity to play Test cricket in Darwin comes very rarely - the city has only hosted two Tests, the last of those in 2004.

Konstas and uncapped Campbell Kellaway are among other options to join the top of the order should Australia look elsewhere as they prepare to play up to 21 Tests in 12 months from August.