The Australian selectors and team management are currently facing the biggest selection conundrum as the hosts aim to capture the 2025-26 Ashes against England at the Adelaide Oval. After winning the first two Tests, the Australian team has taken a 2-0 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series against England.
As both teams prepare for the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval from December 17, former explosive opener David Warner has backed his former teammate and one of his close friends Usman Khawaja to return to his starting position for the next game against England.
Australia faces biggest Ashes selection dilemma ahead of Adelaide Test
If Khawaja is declared fit for the Adelaide Test, as he is currently recovering from his back spasms, the Australian selectors will find themselves in a difficult position. Australia have a real chance to secure the 2025-26 Ashes on home soil, and their call for the third Test will play a big role.
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During the First Test in Perth, Travis Head and Jake Weatherald opened the innings in Khawaja’s absence as he was struggling with back spasms. That makeshift opening pair did a great job and gave the hosts a strong start, which now makes the decision even more difficult.
Even though Head opened in Perth, Warner said the left-handed batsman’s real strength has always been at number five. Head averages 41.46 at that position and has scored eight of his ten Test centuries at this position.
David Warner favors Usman Khawaja to open in the third Ashes Test
Interestingly, three of those centuries have come at the Adelaide Oval, where the third Ashes Test will be played, making the decision all the more significant.
Warner feels that getting Khawaja back on top and moving Head down again will actually make things more difficult for England.
David Warner was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying: “I think Uzi comes back, slips on top, and Trav goes down. It’s probably a bad result for England, with Travis going back up the order. At the end of the day, Travis put his hand up to bat in the position he was in.”
David Warner says taking Travis Head to open could hurt Australia
Travis Head’s aggressive batting in the middle order has been a big advantage for Australia, especially because they have not had a powerful and fearless stroke player in that position for many years. Now they finally do, so Warner is against the idea of opening with Head.
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However, the former opener said that Head could be the opener of the future after Khawaja retires, but opening in Tests requires a completely different mindset, and the team will still need a backup plan if the experiment does not work out.
He further explained that if Head moves up the batting order permanently in the future, Australia will also need to find another strong option for the middle order.
It’s a headache for the selectors: David Warner
Warner said, “We did not have that aggressive player in the middle order.” [in previous years]Australia has it now too, and whatever Uzi decides to do moving forward, if he gets the hang of them, they could look that way,
The Australian icon signed off by saying, “But then we all have to understand that potentially can’t work, and Travis has to go back down the order. And then they have to look for another replacement. The selectors have a headache.”
