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Young Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft deserves to make his Test debut in the day-night Test against New Zealand after the in-form Usman Khawaja suffered a hamstring injury at the WACA yesterday.
Khawaja has cracked 304 runs at an average of 152 since returning to the Test team in Brisbane but is unlikely to play any further part in this series after hobbling from the field early in the last session yesterday.
It was a cruel blow for the 28-year-old who had cemented his place as Australia’s new first drop with some serene yet dominant batting against the Kiwis.
The severity of Khawaja’s injury was not known at the time of writing this piece but even minor hamstring strains are tricky to manage and usually require a fortnight’s rest.
It would be unwise to rush Khawaja back for the day-night Test in Adelaide, which starts just 12 days from now.
The decision on who replaces Khawaja at first drop for the third Test against New Zealand may well be influenced by the result of the ongoing match at the WACA.
If the Kiwis manage to force a draw, keeping the series alive heading to Adelaide, that could sway the selectors to make a more conservative selection.
With a series win the only things on their minds, the selectors might be swayed to pick a more experienced batsman such as 32-year-old Shaun Marsh or 35-year-old Michael Klinger.
Marsh, a long-time favourite of the selectors, has been in poor touch in the Sheffield Shield, with just 110 runs at an average of 27 which harms his chances.
Klinger, meanwhile, has carried over his prolific form from the recent English county season.
He started the Shield season with a brilliant double of 202no and 50no against what was almost a Test-strength Tasmanian attack featuring James Faulkner, Jackson Bird, Andrew Fekete and Xavier Doherty.
Klinger has the advantage of having vast experience at the Adelaide Oval, where he made several thousand runs for South Australia across all formats.
He also has a long run of form behind him, having piled up 1886 runs at 54 in the Shield over the past three seasons.
Australian selector Rod Marsh revealed just before the Brisbane Test that his panel had given serious consideration to including Klinger in the first Test team.
It would make more sense however, particularly if the Adelaide Test is a dead rubber, to blood wonderfully gifted 22-year-old Bancroft.
The West Australian is an opener but would gladly accept the challenge of batting at three.
Australia’s best Test batting prospect under the age of 25, he had a fantastic 2014-15 Shield season and last week compiled a calm 111 as wickets fell all around him against South Australia.
Just as impressively, he was easily the most prolific batsman on either side in the two unofficial Tests between Australia A and India A in Chennai in July.
Australia have been rewarded for investing in relative youth so far this summer, picking Khawaja and Burns ahead of the much older Marsh, Klinger and Ed Cowan, who also was pushing for a Test recall.
Amid a major rebuild following a raft of retirements, the selectors would be wise to continue this policy by picking Bancroft.