Usman Khawaja’s Test career could be over after selectors deemed the full-throttle opening pairing of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald too hard to resist for Adelaide.
Pat Cummins confirmed on Tuesday Australia would make just two changes for the third Ashes Test, with he and Nathan Lyon in for Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser.
It means Australia will stick with an unchanged top seven as they bid to take a 3-0 lead and wrap up the series, with Khawaja denied a recall after overcoming back spasms.
Cummins insisted the door was not closed on Khawaja playing Test cricket again, but in all reality the path back does appear difficult ahead of his 39th birthday on Thursday.
The left-hander has enjoyed one of the great late-career resurgences since his recall to the Test team at the start of 2022, starring at the top of the order.
He averaged 58.7 in his first two years back in the side, but has now passed 50 just twice in his past 27 Test innings.
It was Khawaja’s back spasms in Perth that opened the door for Head to move up from No.5 and open, before the South Australian hit a famous fourth-inning century.
“The selectors have been quite adamant about picking a side each week,” Cummins said.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s got to be exactly the same team as the previous week. We do that with bowlers.
“One of Uzzy’s great strengths is he’s scored runs at the top. He’s scored runs in the middle.
“He’s in the squad. If we didn’t think he’d be good enough to come straight in, he wouldn’t be here in the squad.
“So absolutely, I can see a path back at some point, if needed.”
Khawaja did bat at Australian training on Tuesday but did not face a new ball, in a sign his best path back could in fact be in the middle order.
After this Ashes series, Australia’s next Tests aren’t until August against Bangladesh, where it is expected a new-look team will look to the future.
Cummins said it was too soon to say whether Head would be viewed as a long-term opener, or whether it was just for this series to put the heat back on England.
The 31-year-old has had success opening on previous tours of the sub-continent, and had indicated he would be willing to move to the top for Australia if needed.
That became clear when he told coaching staff he wanted to open in Perth following Khawaja’s injury, giving Australia one of their most up-tempo opening pairings in history.
“Who knows (if it is long-term), but it’s looking pretty good at the moment,” Cummins said.
“It’s looked like they’ve been able to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Whatever’s been thrown at them, they’ve had an answer to.
“It’s really set up the platform for our innings.
“You’ve seen people like Manus (Labuschagnge) and Steve (Smith) walking in after that and really getting on the back of it and starting their innings well.”
Meanwhile, Smith is no doubt to play after returning to training on Tuesday after missing Monday through illness.
Cummins also confirmed that Josh Inglis would remain at No.7 for Australia, with Alex Carey in the elevated role of No.6.
AUSTRALIA’S XI FOR THIRD ASHES TEST:
- Jake Weatherald
- Travis Head
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Cameron Green
- Alex Carey (wk)
- Josh Inglis
- Pat Cummins (capt)
- Mitchell Starc
- Nathan Lyon
- Scott Boland
