How to approach life after David Warner remains a question unanswered for Australia's Test team, but they're confident Steve Smith "will find a way" after the opening experiment failed again at the Gabba.

Smith was out lbw for six in the first over of Australia's reply to West Indies' 311 on Friday's second day of the Brisbane Test.

Promoted to open after David Warner's retirement in Sydney, Smith managed 12 in his first effort in Adelaide and was unbeaten on 11 in the second dig as Australia posted a 10-wicket win.

Adding to the issue was another failure for Cameron Green (eight), who was slotted back into the side at No.4 as part of the Smith reshuffle.

The former Test captain's averaged less than 32 this summer and boasts a highest score of just 50 in five Tests against Pakistan and West Indies, his lowest total in any given summer of a career spanning 14 years.

Smith was exposed, moving dramatically across his crease, Brian Lara picking apart his technique on Fox Sports and an aware Kemar Roach able to exploit it when he nipped the ball back to catch Smith's pad in line with the stumps.

"His body's going towards point, his bat is going towards mid-wicket and the ball is crashing into middle stump," Lara said.

"He's giving himself little or no chance to make good contact with the ball."

But Australian teammate Carey said the team and Smith himself had "no concerns at all".

"He has been dismissed twice as an opener now and he is going to be dismissed a lot more as an opener," Carey said.

"He is one of the best batters in the world and he will find a way to score big hundreds.

"He has done it in really difficult situations before ... a big innings is coming up and hopefully it is in the second innings."

Green was out meekly chipping a catch to mid-off, Australia falling to 5-54 before rallying to declare just 22 shy of the visitor's score.

That followed a score of 11 in his only innings in Adelaide, with Green now averaging less than 20 since a maiden Test century in India last March in a run that saw him replaced in the side by fellow allrounder Mitchell Marsh during last year's Ashes.

Selectors resisted a recall for any of specialist openers Matt Renshaw, Cameron Bancroft or Marcus Harris, despite all presenting strong cases for another chance at the top of the order.

Batting will get no easier for Australia, who have two Tests in New Zealand to follow the home summer, before India visit later this year.