Usman Khawaja’s sublime century at the SCG has surely secured his place in the XI at Hobart.
Martin Love was left out of the Australian team after scoring an unbeaten century in 2003. Stuart Law was dropped from the Australian team after an unbeaten half century in 1995.
But these were different eras when the Australian team were verging on unbeatable. The current team is not at that level yet.
Khawaja will play at Bellerive. The question is: where in the batting line-up?
Travis Head secured his spot in the medium term with his century at the Gabba. So, the two players most under pressure are Marcus Harris and Cameron Green.
Green may seem the most obvious choice. He has only averaged 14.25 across the Ashes series, which was helped along by an unbeaten 33 in the second innings at Adelaide. He has looked overly tentative against England’s quicks and has been caught on the back foot against spin.
However, after failing to take a wicket in the 2020-21 series against India, Green has seven wickets at 11 in this series at time of writing. His scalps include Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Ollie Pope, so he has proved an integral part of Australia’s attack.
He is only 22. Australia needs to persevere with a player who is our most promising all rounder in many years. After making runs in the Sheffield Shield already this season, Green’s best place to work on his flaws is – strangely enough – the Test arena, where he is tested against high quality all the time.
To take some pressure off him, maybe his position for now is No.7, with Alex Carey moving one up in the order. That should allow him to play more freely, similar to what he has done consistently for Western Australia. It also would mean that Carey would need to play a bit tighter, which he is more than capable of.
Marcus Harris has been in the runs of late, with a hard working 76 at the MCG, followed by a 38 in the first innings at the SCG. However, this has masked over his average of 25.21 across a career of 14 Tests. Crucially, he is yet to make a century.
It would seem harsh after his score in Melbourne, but Harris’ failure to convert starts into three figures at this level is telling. He does have a tendency to play at balls that he should leave alone. For that reason alone, Harris is likely to face the axe in Hobart.
It’s a small sample size of seven Tests, but Khawaja has averaged just under 97 opening for Australia. No one expects that to continue but, at 35 years of average, he should be a lock for the rest of this series and Pakistan at least.
If more scores come, an extended run in this Australian team may await.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Firstly - sliding doors - Root holds the catch in the first innings and Uzzie is out for 28. We all agree - - thanks Uzzie for stepping up. Seeya round. Catch is dropped.........he makes a nice hundred and oddly I don't hear anyone talking about how 'lucky' he was?? Harris - I assert that that 76 in Melbourne MUST be regarded as if a hundred. And across Melbourne and Sydney Harris has 141 runs from 9 hours of batting in pretty testing conditions. Warner at the other end has 71 runs from 3 hours of batting. And Labuschagne just 58 from 199 minutes of batting. So......of the top 3 - Harris is the head and shoulders best performed over the last 3 innings in - very testing conditions. And Harris - - having been guaranteed by head of selectors his position for the series - - remember - - he's earned himself a decent crack at it - his last 3.5 Shield seasons: 27 matches 45 Inns (4 not outs) 2472 runs 60.29 avg 7 :100s, 11 :50s, 1 :duck. As it is - - possible changes for the line up must include resting Starc - he looks cooked. Green as a #6 batter doesn't deserve his retention - - not even a neat 74 made during the happy hour batting before the declaration. I do NOT want to see Starc retained because that would see the selectors wanting Green's bowling as backup for a bloke that they know is cooked after 4 straight tests. Is Green bowling well enough to be the third seamer?? and bat at 7. Carey gets one more? He's so far been a bit Haddin like. Concrete feet.
Paul
Roar Guru
I'm still not a fan of guys learning how to bat by playing in Tests, but I guess one more game isn't going to make much difference and as you say, he's been very good with the ball and in the field.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Also Cowan, Quiney, Doolan and Bailey all got tests ahead of Khawaja.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
His time in the middle in the 2nd innings and the way he worked himself into the innings is enough now for me for him to stay at 6. I don't have an issue if he's moved around to accommodate another batsman, but he did just fine with Aus in a tricky situation in the second innings - exactly what was needed in his partnership with Usman to take control of the match. Plus he's clearly been an outstanding contributor in the bowling attack, not only taking wickets of the established batsmen and most importantly a partnership breaker, but has done so being the most economical of all the main bowlers and therefore helping to build/maintain pressure. ER of main bowlers this series: - Green 2.14 - Boland 2.19 - Lyon 2.31 - Neser 2.54 - Hazelwood 2.74 - Cummins 2.91 - Starc 2.97 - Richardson 3.14
Jeff
Roar Rookie
"We need to remember he has taken wickets against an English team that has been absolutely flogged. Last year he couldn’t buy a wicket against India. " Well firstly, Green was taking wickets from the first Test, before England had been absolutely flogged in the series. Secondly, if you follow the Tests and players, as I know you do, I think it's being mischievous referring to Green's bowling last summer when he was selected purely as a batsman and the team used him only as a change bowler in very short spells after coming back from mostly two years without bowling. He was never intended to be an impact bowler in that series. Thirdly, if Green's wickets are so easy to come by, why have Cummins, Hazelwood, Starc and Lyon taken wickets in this series at an average that is pretty much in line with their career averages? Presumably then against this appalling England line up, ALL our bowlers must therefore be seriously out of form? ...7 of Green's 9 wickets have been top 6 batsmen Top 6 batsmen dismissed - wickets (total overs in series) - Starc 22 (135) - Boland 9 (55) - Green 7 (64) - Cummins 7 (101) - Lyon 7 (163) - Neser 2 (24) - Richardson 2 (55)
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Nah. He only averages 25.5 at Bellerive :laughing: - Seriously though, I really don't know what the selectors will do. I blame covid for the dilemma.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Of some of those names I think they deserved opportunities. But there a Few I’ll never understand. Maddison, Wade’s second coming as bat only, Handscomb, Ferguson , Harris second time round & Patterson have all played Test matches in front of Uzzie. Should of played a similar amount of Tests to Warner. Just a class batsmen. Fact he hasn’t just so frustrating
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
The interesting thing about Khawaja is that he's Australia 3rd most successful batsman, even before this match, in terms of centuries since the Ponting/Clarke/Hussey era. Though his form tailed off 2017-19 he missed a truckload of tests in the developmental period 2011 to 2015 to batsmen of lesser quality. As it turned out he outlasted them all. He will almost certainly be passed by Labu and perhaps by Head, Pucovski and Green (the new Steve Waugh, which means he's tipped for 30 plus 100s) but it's unlikely any of them will have to meet Khawaja's unique selection criteria.
Papa Joe
Roar Rookie
I agree completely that Kawaja deserves to play in Hobart. I reckon he deserved to play in Brisbane, and it has been my view that he should have played many more tests prior to that. Since his debut ten years ago, the selectors have tried Wade, Bancroft, Handscomb, Harris, Burns, Henriques, Maddison, Marsh x 2, Ferguson, Maxwell, Patterson, Renshaw and Voges - none of whom are as classy at test cricket than Ussie.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Head deserves to come back and Green needs to stay. Khajwaja should have been initially picked to open with Warner. He had the runs on the board and if the side was to be picked on form, it shouldn't have been Harris to get the nod but he appears to be Langer's golden boy.
Mooty
Roar Rookie
“Greens best place to work on his flaws is the Test arena”. In the past players who had problems with form or batting/bowling flaws were told to sort them out in the Shield comp. Are you suggesting Green is good enough to take a spot while sorts himself out. We need to remember he has taken wickets against an English team that has been absolutely flogged. Last year he couldn’t buy a wicket against India. Unfortunately I feel Ponting has a bit of an influence over George Bailey, being ex Tassie teammates.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
If a player performs well at the top level that takes precedence over everything else, there was a plan to give Harris an extended trial but if injuries or Covid means someone else gets an opportunity as well then if the second guy kills it the first is the one to dump. If Khawaja is asked and says he doesn't want to open the batting then pick Harris but zero chance of that happening. Same thing with Boland, he was third choice replacement, I dont understand the logic of why he is a specialist for the MCG only maybe they thought they needed a local to increase crowds. There is no such thing as a specialist for a ground, its depends on the wicket, if the ground is known for a certain wicket and conditions . Mitchell Marsh no secret Warne loves him, I can understand why Mitchell Marsh teammates would like him but how many old men does he socialise with and think hes great as well. Warne wanting Marsh as the fifth batsman over Khawaja is really bizzare.
Paul
Roar Guru
David everything you've writen makes perfect sense except for one small problem Our esteemed Chairman Of Selectors has told the whole world Marcus Harris is playing the entire series. I thought at the time this was a silly thing to come out with and said as much, but it's really coming back to bite him now. You only have to compare the innings Harris & Khawaja played to see the difference in class. The latter was assured from ball one, despite having zero match time for more than a month. Khawaja made it pretty obvious why there's such a big gap in averages between he and Harris. I'm also dead against moving Carey to accommodate Green. Carey has as much right to settle into his role in the team. He'll easily play 60 plus Tests batting at 7 and he should not be given additional pressure, by being expected to bat in a position reserved for the likes of Steve Waugh. If Green was a 22 year old batsman who'd made the scores he has in this series, he'd be dropped for Hobart for sure. If he stays, drop him into a bowling slot and play Khawaja at 5 or 6.
Akkara
Roar Rookie
I agree, Khawaja for Harris. If Harris is not performing now, he should not be in the team now. He will probably have 7 opportunities by the end of this test. When looking back, if Khawaja was give half the opportunities Harris has been given, he would have developed into a more consistent player at test level. Ricky Ponting's comments show how biased the selection committee is and has been with Khawaja. It seems objective performance is not the criteria, it is subjective attitude etc that matters! Khawaja had the potential to captain Australia if not for the biased selections. He is probably the only player to have been in an oriignal team, and then dropped the moment he scores a century; the only player to have the highest ODI average, when not selected to the Australian world cup team etc, etc. What mental strength to survive in such an environment.
Lance Boil
Roar Rookie
I see Ricky Ponting saying they have to stick with selections made for the first test because that was the best 11. The "unfortunate" UK innings in this test is only a "problem" because it wasn't the best 11.