Australian coach Darren Lehmann has admitted that he is not afraid to shake up his line-up for the third Test at Old Trafford in an effort to prevent a worrying trend of middle-order batting collapses.
Following a tour match against Sussex this week, Lehmann said fringe players like Ed Cowan (66 and 77 not out) and Phil Hughes (84 and 38) had not necessarily done enough to warrant selection.
They appear to be the two outsiders fighting for Chris Rogers’ place at the top of the order.
David Warner’s 193 for Australia A, Steve Smith’s unbeaten 102 in the tour match, and Usman Khawaja’s performance in the second innings at Lord’s surely secures their positions.
However, Lehmann was quick to warn that no-one was a certainty.
“Whoever we pick is ready and able to have an impact,” he said.
“We have done enough talking full stop, we have to score some runs. We can formulate an attack to get 20 wickets but we need to make runs. We’d love to keep the same six bats all the time and that may happen in this Test match, I don’t know.”
Selectors face some difficult decisions, but the top six should look like this: Watson, Rogers, Khawaja, Warner, Clarke and Smith. While Rogers has struggled so far, he is a much better fit at the top of the order than Warner because of his placid style.
The swashbuckling combination of Watson and Warner would most likely prove to be a disastrous opening pairing for Australia.
Though Khawaja has yet to prove himself at international level, he is an elegant player with a technique more suited to the English conditions than someone like Hughes.
Captain Michael Clarke’s best position is clearly at number five, where he averages 63. So that just leaves Smith, who’s already done enough with bat and ball to justify his selection until at least the end of the series.
In a must-win Test, Australia’s batsmen need to perform now or they can expect Lehmann to ring further changes.
Bungee
Guest
I agree with the comments made by the Australian coach. I think the bowling attack that Australia will muster makes taking 20 wickets seems more likely in this series than the scoring of runs match winning runs. With the exception of Ian Bell no batsman has looked in total control as yet in the series. Bearing that in mind a first innings total of 350 at Old Trafford could very well be a match winner. Fingers-crossed the Australian batting configuration selected has the gall to graft their way to that respectable kind of total. It doesn't have to be pretty: just value your wicket above all else!
john
Guest
guys, the aussie coach and captain have still not got it; england has this time prepared low-slow pitches to suit them, after seeing how the aussies performed in India; solution- the aussies need to go in with spinners; what baffles me the most is why clarke is not bowling himself despite being a good left arm tweaker, and that too on dry second innings pitches; over relying on fast bowlers ona dry-slow pitch is too much to ask for...
twodogs
Guest
I've bagged cowan as too slow in the past. But now with Rogers in at 35, I've gotta ask, is there any real gain? Surely Cowan at 30 has to be a better medium term prospect. Not one at the tail end of his career. If you would want an old timer to plug the gap, Katich is over there at 37, though with a superior record to all but Clarke. Go figure! Seems something still smells in that camp.
Jermayn
Guest
Cowan is also on the wrong side of 30 and with only two test hundreds in his test career I think its safe to say he is only warming the seat. However in saying that Rogers is doing the same....
Ben Murphy
Roar Pro
Cowan did alright in the recent tour match, but I just don't think he's done quite enough. Watson and Rogers deserve one last chance as an opening pairing in my opinion
JamesB
Guest
Why not Cowan?