In last year’s Ashes series, the Australian selectors were praised for instilling a horses-for-courses selection policy that reaped dividends.
In all five Tests, the final XI was picked solely upon who best fit the unique conditions and situation of each Test, rather than who would usually get the nod.
Mitchell Starc was left out for Peter Siddle at Edgbaston, and Travis Head was left out for Mitch Marsh at the Oval.
These were calls that nine times out of ten would not happen, but based on the set of circumstances in front of them, they were made.
And they were proven correct.
(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Fast forward almost 18 months, and the selectors this week reneged on the policy that served them so well.
Usman Khawaja is the obvious stop-gap solution to Australia’s now rather desperate need for a Test opener against India until David Warner returns.
With Will Pucovski now under huge doubt too, Khawaja is the standout choice to fill in — likely for just one Test — until Warner’s targeted return on Boxing Day.
His record in the opener’s role is exemplary: seven innings, 484 runs including two 100s and two 50s.
One of those centuries was in a pink ball day-night Test at Adelaide, the venue of next Thursday’s series opener, and against Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott.
The other was a gritty 141 (302) against Pakistan in the searing heat of Dubai; one of the best Test innings of the last decade.
His recent domestic form is strong, too. The Queensland skipper finished the latest Sheffield Shield round with a classy 131 and 46* to his name.
More important than those statistics, however, is the desperately needed experience that Khawaja would bring to an opening partnership featuring either Joe Burns or Marcus Harris.
As shown in The Test documentary released earlier this year, Khawaja is one of the most senior players in the Australian set-up who both knows his game and is unafraid to speak up.
And it’s that assuredness that Australia needs in Adelaide.
(Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty Images)
While this time around the Australian batting order is strengthened by the return of Steve Smith and the emergence of Marnus Labuschagne, it goes without saying that a sturdy opening pair is paramount to success.
In bypassing Khawaja for the day-night tour game against the Indians starting today at the SCG, the selectors have all but shown their cards that Burns and Harris are the likely starters next Thursday.
And as fellow Roar columnist Ronan O’Connell argued yesterday, that would leave Australia exposed in the all-important series opener.
It’s important to note that picking Khawaja over Harris or Burns is not the regressive move that the “he’s had his go, move on” brigade think it is.
Opting for Khawaja over a younger player like Harris would not be reflective of a wholesale change to selection policy, nor signal that Khawaja was back in Australia’s best XI.
It would simply acknowledge that for the upcoming Test match, Australia’s best chance of victory likely includes a team where he is opening the batting. That is all.
If picked, Khawaja would not be guaranteed selection beyond Adelaide, and nor would he expect it.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Speaking on Wednesday, former Test player Simon Katich said the selectors should go one step further and shift both Matthew Wade and Khawaja to the top.
“He’s a Test batsman,” Katich said of Khawaja on 1170 SEN.
“He averages 40 in Test cricket and more importantly, in the seven Tests he has played as an opener he’s averaged just under 100, so in my mind I’d be picking those two experienced guys at the top of the order and going with that.”
Irrespective of the call to leave Khawaja out for today’s tour match, the selectors have backed themselves into a corner should Burns’ poor run continue in the coming days.
Another failure (or two, depending on whether Australia A get a second innings) would leave the Queenslander bereft of confidence entering the most important series of his career.
And if the selectors are to then change their minds at the last minute and pick a player like Khawaja, they would leave him hopelessly underdone, without red ball practice in a month.
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
Its not easy for a kashmiri to come up the ranks, still you saw abdul samad in srh team in ipl, that is almost highest a kashmiri has gone besides few odis played by parvez rasool against zimbabwe. Although abdul samad is not from the Valley but he still is from the state of j&k
Micko
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the info. I didn't know Kashmiris wanted independence from India. Who are the greatest Kashmiri cricketers?
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
I am looking forward to write a piece about the situation with kashmiri people when it comes to matches involving India to make it clear... Right now just take my statement as literally as you can that, in the current series for example all kashmiris will wake up at 5 in the morning really hoping Australia smash them as hard as they could, and if Australia disappoints trust me you can tell from our faces what has happened..we take pleasure in every little thing that brings sadness to these oppressors and fake Democrats... If you check history India has twice hosted tests in srinagar, in 1983 west Indies and in 1987 Australia came to srinagar.. check what happened there, why both matches got abandoned, it was a slap on India when whole stadium got behind west Indies and later Australia, it was an embarrassment for Indians, west Indies were shell shocked with the support, clive lloyd said we don't get this kind of cheering even in Carribean, sunil gavasker fumed and called kashmiris as worst crowd. That's why these guys are afraid to hold referendum in kashmir, as they have to do according to UN, which is pending from 70 years
Micko
Roar Rookie
"good news"? You don't support India?
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
My bad, thanks for the good news
George
Guest
Marsh also averages 22 against India - from 15 Tests.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
The idea of opening with Paine is an interesting one. Not sure how likely it is. But if they don't play Burns and do stick with the squad they've got, then it does mean someone who's not normally an opener taking that spot one way or another, be it Labushagne, Wade or Paine. I agree with you about Harris. He fell for a trap in the second innings in this last match. Hopefully he'll be kicking himself for that and work at not falling for that trap again. That's different from being in a place where you just don't seem to be able to find the middle of the bat at all and keep getting out cheaply. Still don't have massive confidence in Harris, but there's no other real choice at this point, he has to play.
boxingkoala
Roar Rookie
Whiteman has been consistent this season. Wouldn't be a silly pick. Burns has now shown he is way out of form.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I thing someone coming from outside the squad is a longshot. Green seemed to bounce back pretty quick and I read he "sin good spirits" (whatever that means, but I'm assuming he's not suffering any after-effects. Harris may be suspect to getting out on a loose shot, but he's still only early on in his Test career so you have to give him a decent run I think. It's not like he's a walking wicket. Burns is though and simply is unselectable. Only he knows what he's feeling, but you think his head must scrambled at this point. I still prefer to open with Paine's defence and get a 20-40 which is what you usually get anyway with TP, then play Green at 7. The only issue I have with that is Green may be too good a batsman to start running out of batting partners, though our bowlers are pretty good at partnerships.
Jero
Roar Rookie
As they say, love is blind.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Their love for holding onto the incumbent means trying to give him every possible opportunity to find form before the first test. I don't think anyone would have really imagined 5 runs in 4 innings would be the result.
Jero
Roar Rookie
I see it as more hoping, rather than thinking or considering. Avoiding, basically.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I think they were probably just thinking that surely if they give Burns enough innings he's going to finally score some runs in one of them. They were giving him every chance to come good. For him to get even worse - 5 runs across 4 innings against India A! - was probably not something they'd really considered. But the loss of both Warner and Pucovski combined with the COVID bubble protocols, make it a bit hard for them. Though, surely, since all the BBL players are in their own bubbles, they should be able to bring someone from that bubble to the test bubble without an issue.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I would expect to hear that Marsh or Khawaja has been added to the squad today if that's going to happen. I would have thought we'd have heard by now, but I'm pretty sure I saw that the players from that Australia A match were flying to Adelaide today (Monday). So if they were going to bring in anyone else from outside, surely they would be flying them there today also. So if we haven't heard anything by the end of the day I think it means they plan to go with players already in the squad. Either sticking with Burns, or doing what some have suggested and pushing Wade to open and slot Green in at #6. The way he responded after being hit in the head, I reckon he'd recover pretty quickly, not a multiple weeks recovery thing like Pucovski. (Plus, it's not a batting weakness the Indian's can target that becomes a worry either!)
Micko
Roar Rookie
To be fair, I'm surprised more bowlers and close in fielders don't get concussed these days!
Micko
Roar Rookie
Ishant Sharma isn't touring.
Peter Farrar
Roar Pro
There was a good argument to suggest Khawaja should have been in that Australia A team ahead of Joe Burns. It seems a long time ago that Burns made his century against Sri Lanka here and I think it was a score of 97 early in the series against New Zealand. I don't however feel entirely sure about Khawaja either. I saw him at MCG earlier this year playing for Australia A against the England Lions and it was an opportunity he didn't take. I'd be dosing up on a lot of valium if I was a selector at the moment
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
Why Khawaja shouldn’t play: 1: Too long a gap between his last test inning and now. 2: Indian attack that he has struggled with in the longer format. Highly likely Ishant sharma will get him caught in the first slip or Shami will get him trapped plum in front. 3. There is basically only one spot to fill that too for only 1 test. Australia should be able to manage it from the existing squad, what is the purpose of announcing a squad when you can’t replace a player from it. What is in favour of Khawaja: 1. Definitely twice as good as he is when playing in Australia 2. If he survives pace attack he can launch spinners for sixes all day long. 3. Spectacular to watch 4. Pink ball and day-night test match experience and success, thus possesses a positive feel about it which is gold.
Gavrot
Guest
Warner averaged less in that series then came back and averaged almost 500 the next series. I'm not sure you can judge much from 3 matches of a series where only 3 batsman averaged over 40.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Hundreds come with games played. Bancroft, 2 x 3=6 21÷2=10.5