Who will partner David Warner? With an Ashes series on the horizon, this is the question that Australia is most struggling to definitively answer.
Sure, there are debates on who should bat at five or six, but it will be a top effort for anyone to push for those roles, with Travis Head and Cameron Green respectively penciled in with no one in particular looking to break in.
However, there are a number of names being thrown around in contention to open for their country. There’s Bryce Street, an old-fashioned lefty from Queensland who has batted long and hard in the Sheffield Shield over the last two years, highlighted by four centuries and a patient 46 in the Shield final.
There’s Will Pucovski, a classy Victorian who made his Test debut earlier this year and, at the ripe age of 23, has already been in the Test discussion for years but has been held back from the big time due to injuries, mental health issues and a long string of concussions, the latest of which was sustained just this month.
There’s Usman Khawaja, Australia’s previous long-time number three who averages 96.8 as a Test opener and recently brought up his second consecutive century for Queensland, albeit batting at number four.
There’s Marcus Harris, who began his Test career in Warner’s absence due to suspension and has opened alongside Warner on a few occasions since to not much success.
And there’s Joe Burns and Cameron Bancroft, who have previously partnered Warner over the course of entire series but failed to prove themselves of any indisputable worth on the big stage.
David Warner has had a tough time of it since his comeback. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Of these options, Pucovski is considered the frontrunner, having impressed with back-to-back double centuries in his brief Sheffield Shield stint last year before a shoulder injury sustained in his Test debut kept him from playing in the latter half of the tournament.
He has since undergone surgery and returned to the nets but his ongoing struggle with concussion has seen him not picked for Victoria’s season opener against New South Wales and led to his ability to play the short ball being questioned.
So it’s obvious that whether or not Pucovski is picked for the first Test, he will need an injury cover. So who will that be? That remains undecided for now.
Logically, with all six states finally in action in Australia’s domestic circuit, each contending opener will put their best foot forward in the Sheffield Shield and hope to be noticed by selectors. Plus, there will be tour matches, where an Australia ‘A’ team will be put together to face the England Lions, a team of miss-outs from England’s main Test squad.
A century in a tour match has been a number of Australia’s recent Test debutants’ rite of passage into the team, and could well be the decider in determining who faces up to the likes of Broad, Anderson, Wood or Robinson on Day 1 at the Gabba.
But while previous and upcoming players alike are fighting for selection, Warner seemingly has his spot in the team served to him on a plate.
Where is the merit in that? A handful of fine, well-established batters are piling on runs at domestic level, fighting each other for a chance to represent their country, while a veteran past his prime sits back and waits to see his name on the team sheet.
Surely, it’s only fair that Warner goes back to playing for New South Wales and doesn’t return to the Test line-up until he can prove himself in the Shield, while others who have red ball form under their belt are given a go at the highest level.
But there is a bigger picture. In his decade long Test career, Warner has opened with more partners than he count on his fingers, assuming he can count. His best companion has arguably been Chris Rogers, who was 35 when the pair first opened together in 2013.
Since Rogers’ retirement from Test cricket in 2015, Warner has been paired with the aforementioned Burns, Bancroft and Harris – as well as Matt Renshaw, who is just 25 years old but has reinvented himself as a middle-order batter and doesn’t look to be returning to Australia’s top order anytime soon – none of whom have consistently troubled opposition bowling attacks.
Neither Bancroft or Harris has a Test century, while Warner has 24. In the midst of a tough era for openers around the world, Warner has remained Australia’s first-choice opener for a decade.
As for not playing first-class cricket, Warner has always been “too good” for the Sheffield Shield. Nearly 75 per cent of his first-class runs have come at Test level. He made his international debut before his first-class debut.
He scored just 95 runs across 10 innings in the last Ashes series, his return series after suspension following the infamous ball tampering scandal.
Somehow, he resisted the axe, and furthermore went on to score back-to-back centuries in his first two innings back home, the latter of which being the second highest Test score by an Australian ever.
But while he possesses this legacy, if there was ever a time to not be complacent with letting him prove himself at the highest level, it’s right now.
In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which concluded in January and still remains to be Australia’s most recent Test series, Warner missed the first two Tests due to a groin injury sustained in the ODI series preceding and, upon returning to the Test line-up, failed to impress, scoring just 67 runs across four innings.
Before leaving for India to play in the IPL, he briefly returned to play for New South Wales. He impressed in the Marsh One-Day Cup, scoring a century on top of a trademark Warner innings of 87 of 74 balls. He made a Sheffield Shield appearance against South Australia, posting scores of 24 and 69 at a relatively high strike rate.
While these are not bad scores, consider that this is the best that he has had to offer over the last twelve months and put it in perspective.
Warner’s last first class century came in a Test match against New Zealand at the SCG, early in 2020. Since then, Bryce Street has hit four. Joe Burns has scored two. Usman Khawaja has two on the trot.
David Warner of Australia (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Marcus Harris scored three for Leicestershire in the recent County Championship in England, not to mention his 239 for Victoria, which was he brought up against South Australia only a year ago.
Warner’s record at international level may give him the edge, but he has never been held accountable for poor performance when it comes to Test selection. While scores of 13 and 16 at Lord’s saw Bancroft dropped for the third Ashes Test in 2019, scores of 2, 8, 3 and 5 across the first two Tests were not enough to convince selectors to look past Warner.
He then managed a pair at Old Trafford, with Australia retaining the Ashes in that match despite him, and was still retained for the final Test, which Australia lost, further denying them a long-awaited Ashes series win away from home. Yet, when the home summer rolled around, guess who was still first picked at the top of the order?
Perhaps naming Warner for the first Test at the Gabba is the right move to make, but if his failure continues, Australia must be prepared to drop him mid-series.
Maybe others won’t do any better. Maybe they lack the Test record Warner possesses. But if Australia goes 0-1 or 0-2 down in the series, they cannot be leaning on a 34-year-old who has done nothing of recent to earn his place in the team.
sheek
Roar Guru
Before you decide to drop any player, you need to have a better credentialed replacement in mind. Warner, despite his current run of outs, is still the quality batsman at the top of the Australian order. None of the other candidates are better credentialed or in any superlative form superior to Warner. Most have been tried as Warner's partner at various times, & all been dropped due to lack of consistency. Warner is still the MAN.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
https://wwos.nine.com.au/cricket/the-ashes-australia-england-marnus-labuschagne-david-warner-usman-khawaja-marcus-harris-travis-head/2261dd34-846f-4537-84ea-6fe8b355d995 I've been saying a while open with Labuschagne , strengthen middle order. Labs had opened half the time in recent years anyway
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Www.wwos.nine.com.au/cricket/the-ashes-australia-england-marnus-labuschagne-david-warner-usman-khawaja-marcus-harris-travis-head/2261dd34-846f-4537-84ea-6fe8b355d995
Clear as mud
Guest
I thought Khawaja was terrible in the last Ashes. remembering that Renshaw and Maxwell were punted from a winning team in Bangladesh to let him and Smarsh back in, Ussie seemed out of form and or outclassed by SWarner, Smith and both Marshes. Even Paine batted better. His ton in the last was truly a flat track special in a dead rubber against England C.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Stats can be twisted to tell just about any story, Usman averages 90-odd as an opener, but averages 30 vs England. Of the options available, I reckon I’d rather Khawja open with Warner. His Ashes series in 2017 was pretty good with an average just under 50 and scored a 171 in Sydney. Unlike Warner, he has been playing some red ball cricket and looks in good touch, has back to back hungies to his name, with a 174 vs Redbacks. I don’t believe he necessarily has to open at Shield level to open in the tests. Tim Paine is probably a good example when he was selected to wicket-keep and captain his country while not performing those roles for Tasmania. Just on Will Pucovski, there is a pretty big question mark hanging over his head with his concussion issues. It wouldn’t surprise me that if he cops a couple more head knocks, he is every chance of retiring from the sport. Happened to a friend of mine. Hyped as the next big thing in the NRL, he suffered quite a few head knocks, which seemed to perpetuate his susceptibility for further concussions. It got to the stage where he was getting fairly innocuous bumps at training, which were sparking him out for a minute or two at a time. Just when his career got started, he was forced to retire at 21. It happens.
inxs52
Guest
Australia selectors should adopt the "moneyball" principle when picking players :silly:
Clear as mud
Guest
yeah actually, nah
Ace
Roar Rookie
Finally CAM someone mentions the next generation. I harp on it. Green was an excellent decision and he will grow . Pucovski has the talent. But to get some underperforming 35 yo out of this team is annoying. Build for the future instead of recycling the same old under performers. No one mentions Maddison's form either.
JamesH
Roar Guru
I agree re Warner. On Head, I think you have to make a similar argument though (albeit without the same historical weight of runs). He's barely played any tests. He was in just the first two tests against India last summer, and only got dropped as a consequence of Wade moving back down to the middle order. Before that, he averaged 43 vs NZ with a ton and a 50 in five innings. Personally I'd give him and Green first crack in the Ashes, with Khawaja in the squad as a backup batsman. With Warner and Paine on the verge of retirement we kinda need to keep getting games into the next generation. Uzzie has the flexibility to come in at the top or the middle order, which makes him an ideal fallback option.
JamesH
Roar Guru
I don't mind the old-school approach to a point, but they won't pick him until he shows another gear. A strike rate of 30 in the Shield probably equates to mid 20s in tests. There will be times where that just puts too much pressure on the guys at the other end to do all the scoring. And if he simply lets elite bowlers settle into a rhythm they will get him out. For reference, Pujara - who at time cops grief for being an overly defensive batsman - has a test strike rate of 43 over the last 5 years.
bowledover
Roar Rookie
Have to agree its likely to be Harris instead of Pucovski... hopefully he delivers this time. I also am not sure on Starc. Had Pattinson not retired, he had been my pick, but would consider Neser instead.
Rob
Guest
Khawaja is averaging more than Warner as an opener. if Warner had batted 6 as Khawaja has made the averages are closer than you think. Warner murders medium pace on a road. Khawaja has shown he can play well on difficult decks against good new ball bowlers. Warner has proved he punishes medium pacers on flat roads if you look at his record.
Paul
Roar Guru
This is a bit scary Pierro, I agree with your comments!! :happy: Archer is a huge out for the Poms though I'm not sure how he'd have gone, given the way Joe Root used/abused him in Tests. Poor guy was bowled into the ground on more than one occasion and I suspect the same would have happened on this tour. Agreed too about form lines and in the case of Australia, there's little or none to go on, certainly at Test level. I'm not fussed about age because guys these days are unbelievably fit, but it's safe to say Warner's reflexes are probably a fraction slower these days than was the case 4 or 5 years ago. I also hope Aussie selectors literally start with a fresh sheet of paper when it comes to selecting squads for the overseas tours next year. We obviously need guys who can play spin well and need more than Lyon in our attack. Warner has had one good series in Asian conditions so I'd be arguing others should be considered before him. I'd even think about bringing in some middle order players to open the batting, if they can handle spin well.
Clear as mud
Guest
I think there is a strong chance he will retire from Tests if we win and he does well (Which brings us to the “should we pick guys for farewell home series” discussion - in which I usually am a firm no, but in his case, I am yes, as part of the up yours.)
matth
Roar Guru
Finch was seeing them okay the other night
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I'd say the opposition will stuggle without a young archer steaming in on our wickets fully fit . Warners cracks can be covered up on hard decks batting first until opposition like India or even new Zealand expose it . England last toured some four years ago so wouldn't be taking Warner's formlines off that now . He's 35 and struggling but my concern is the home deck will get him picked for Indian subcontinent tour next year and Australia may suffer because of its reluctance to accept warner is cooked on foreign tours at his age and latest foreign tour
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I'd say the opposition will stuggle without a young archer steaming in on our wickets fully fit . Warners cracks can be covered up on hard decks batting first until opposition like India or even new Zealand expose it . England last toured some four years ago so wouldn't be taking Warner's formlines off that now . He's 35 and struggling but my concern is the home deck will get him picked for Indian subcontinent tour next year and Australia may suffer because of its reluctance to accept warner is cooked on foreign tours at his age and latest foreign tour
Simoc
Guest
You're a bit out of your depth Sam. Another stats guru who possibly has never played the game. Watch the guy bat for some clues. He would be the first picked in every other International team bar India where he would be second behind Rohit Sharma probably. Asking any first class player would provide some insight for you. The age is irrelevant until it affects their eyesight (which I reckon has happened to Finch). Warner has always been a matchwinner the likes of which there are few in world cricket. In England the bowling was superb and to good for him but back here it's a chance to square the ledger. There is no other opener in Australia close to him at present.
Paul
Roar Guru
nah, some people see things differently. I've no problems with that. Well, mostly don't have problems with that. :happy:
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Khawaja’s average as an opener is one of those times you definitely shouldn’t take much notice of averages as a predictor of future performance. A very small data set of six proper innings. Only two in Australia, one being 145 vs SA under lights which was impressive in terms of outcome but was also a case of some innings relying on luck, playing and missing a zillion times. He is obviously in good form this season, although scoring against weak attacks on flat tracks. Having said that I wouldn’t be against him opening with Warner ahead of Harris or Pucovski, maybe batting Pucovski down the order given his recent struggles. This article perhaps sounded more like an attack on Warner than it was given the headline. Though it’s silly to say he wasn’t accountable for the poor Ashes series. His numbers in Australia are as good as any Australian opener in history. But agree given up and down form he can’t be as secure as he was. Not sure a 0-2 deficit will be the trigger though.