Khawaja has Ashes backing, but Labuschagne’s spot is uncertain

Head coach McDonald hints at top-order changes after WTC final defeat

Should Khawaja’s pattern of dismissals worry Australia?

Usman Khawaja has been backed to be part of the Ashes later this year. Still, Marnus Labuschagne’s spot is becoming increasingly uncertain with Sam Konstas firming for a Test recall in the West Indies following Australia’s World Test Championship (WTC) final defeat at Lord’s.

Can Khawaja reach Sydney?

Going by Andrew McDonald’s comments after the World Test Championship final, Usman Khawaja has his ticket booked for the Ashes. Overall, his numbers from the last two years are very respectable, especially considering he opens the batting, with 1428 runs at 39.66. Among openers, only India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal made more in this WTC cycle.

There is a chance that Steven Smith’s finger injury could provide an opening for Labuschagne to hold onto his spot, after he earned a show of faith at Lord’s, partly because he had been ever-present in the WTC cycle. However, the point has been reached where even that may not save him. The selectors will decide in the next 48 hours whether batting reinforcements need to be added to the squad once there is further clarity over Smith’s prognosis. Still, regardless, it’s challenging to see a scenario where 19-year-old Konstas doesn’t return at the top of the order.

Head coach Andrew McDonald stated, “There was significant discussion leading up to this Test match, and I publicly mentioned a couple of weeks ago the importance of solidifying our opening combination. We’ve been switching players around quite a bit, so I think it might be time to establish some consistency.”

Labuschagne was moved up to open alongside Khawaja at Lord’s, the first time he had filled this role in Test cricket, primarily to accommodate the returning Cameron Green at No. 3, and came away with scores of 17 and 22, leaving him with an average of 27.82 for the WTC cycle.

“He’s a big part of the future of the team,” McDonald said. “Anyone who averages 45, 46 in Test cricket at that age is important. We’ve got older players there that are closer to the end than the start. We’ve got some younger players coming in.

“If he can get his game in good order for the next four or five years, he can underpin that batting order. But at the moment, he’d be disappointed with the returns. He’s missed out on big scores. However, we’re confident that he can return to his best, which is why we continue to pick him. And at what point do we stop liking him?

“I think most players across their journey get dropped at some point in time. I think he had a positive week here, where he worked on the right things and had a great prep. There’s no harder worker than Marnus. Now it’s just about the returns. And at the moment, as I said, he’d be disappointed.”

Although Khawaja scored a career-best 232 against Sri Lanka three Tests ago, his twin dismissals to Kagiso Rabada at Lord’s have returned the spotlight onto him, as they continue the problems he has had against pace bowling, particularly from around the wicket. However, he seems likely to be given the same run afforded to David Warner when his position was called into question during the latter stages of his career.

“He’s on contract, he’s an important player,” McDonald said. “He gives us stability at his best at the top. And we like to look at our players at their best.

“No doubt, a couple of failures here, and people then start to talk about maybe it’s the end. I don’t see an end date with the way he’s training, preparing, and moving. He returned to Shield cricket, scoring 100 last season. So I think he’s got plenty of runs left in him. It’ll come down to his inner drive and the way he prepares.

“It was a bit the same with Davey as well. The way he moved, we saw some positives in that. We knew that the runs were around the corner. We feel as though Usman’s got a big part to play.”

Josh Inglis scored a century on debut, Sri Lanka vs Australia, 1st Test, Galle, 2nd day, January 30, 2025
Josh Inglis, who scored a century on Test debut, could be in the mix for spinning conditions•Getty Images.
Josh Inglis is the reserve wicketkeeper and a spare batter in the current squad. He could be a good option to refresh the team but coach McDonald said they would mainly consider him in spinning conditions. He also mentioned that they might use Travis Head as an opener if the pitch is very spin-friendly, although it’s unlikely that the pitches will be that extreme. McDonald noted that they need to balance preparing for the Ashes while also adapting to the conditions in the West Indies, where Australia hasn’t played a Test since 2015.

“I’d like to think that we’re being flexible around our options in the batting order,” he said. “Other people are judging that and saying that’s unsettling. I think we’ve got a group that understands when we’re home, it looks a certain way, when we’re away, it can potentially shift.”

Amid the scrutiny on the batting, McDonald did not believe the top order was the only area of the team that had fallen short at Lord’s. “I know you guys want to talk about the batting line-up and where Marnus fits and all of that,” he said. “But we’re looking into all three facets of the game where we need to keep improving to stay ahead of the opposition. I think that the bowling had some areas where we let the tempo of the game shift on day three.”

“We’re not a perfect team, we haven’t been on this journey. We’ve found ways to win, and unfortunately, this time we couldn’t conjure that up. We also lost 5 for [20] in the first innings. You put those seven wickets that we lost in the second innings, and that’s 12 for not many runs. I think we are better than that.

“But as we sit here right now, you’ve got to say that South Africa were better in this Test match. We need to assess the improvements that we require. There’s no doubt about that.

Is Konstas the answer to the “musical chairs”?

At the other end of the career spectrum to Khawaja is Sam Konstas. Few 19-year-olds with an average of 34.89 from 17 first-class matches and two centuries have commanded as much interest, but that’s what happens when you take down Bumrah on debut. Anyone capable of doing that in front of a packed MCG has talent and is not easily overawed. Still, suggestions he might be the silver bullet to Australia’s opening merry-go-round may be jumping the gun.

There is a sense that Konstas has settled since the hectic period following his debut, when he struggled to find a batting rhythm, but everyone is still operating off a limited sample size. It would be bizarre if he didn’t get a chance in the West Indies now, and while he may well live up to the hype and provide clarity, there is every chance it won’t be a seamless road ahead. Then it will be a test of nerve for all involved. With McDonald suggesting that, depending on conditions, Sheffield Shield form could be more relevant than what happens in the West Indies, it may not be until later in the year that this story has a conclusion.

Could Labuschagne get lucky… again?

When Labuschagne was churning out runs a few years ago, he was often referred to as a “lucky” batter, largely in relation to being given chances that he was able to take advantage of. Now it feels like Labuschagne, who has been ever present since coming in as Smith’s concussion sub at Lord’s in 2019, is on borrowed time. However, in a twist of fate, could another Smith injury give him one final chance to extend his immediate career?

Smith’s damaged finger may not rule him out of the entire West Indies tour, but the time-frame is very tight for the opening Test in Barbados. There is still every chance the selectors decide now’s the time to move Labuschagne aside (at least temporarily) but if they are missing 10,000 Test runs they need to fill that gap. Labuschagne does not look like a batter on the brink of ending a rut, but it wouldn’t be the first sliding-doors moment for him.

Is there a spot for Inglis?

Josh Inglis has barely put a foot wrong for Australia in recent times. He made a century on Test debut against Sri Lanka, playing as a specialist batter, and produced a thrilling 120 off 86 balls against England in the Champions Trophy. Like a lot of Australia’s options somewhere in the middle order is his ideal spot – which is why they are in their current predicament – but as a naturally positive player, he may be worth considering as an option for No. 3 if there is a desire to bring a higher tempo. He has the game to take on fast bowling and is excellent against spin. For the Barbados Test, he could come in for the injured Smith at No. 4, or one spot lower if Travis Head shifts up as a senior player.

What is Green’s best position?

It was a difficult return to Test cricket for Cameron Green at the WTC final, but things would have to go horribly wrong for him to not be a key figure in the future of the line-up. He faced just five balls, all against the outstanding Rabada, falling to a superb delivery in the first innings and then edging to slip again in the second with hard hands.

There is, however, a debate about where ideally Green, who for now is a batter-only, would be best placed in the order even if he’s often put into the can-bat-anywhere category. If Smith misses the first Test, he could slip down to No. 4 but would need to move again when he returns. Unless the selectors decide they don’t need Beau Webster’s bowling – and it would be tough to omit him after he made Australia’s top score in the WTC final – there probably isn’t another slot for now than No. 3.