Travis Head has potentially given a hint as to Australia’s selection plans for the Adelaide Test as Usman Khawaja makes a last-ditch bid to return as opener.
After replacing the injured Khawaja for the second innings in Perth, then holding his place in Brisbane, Head is the incumbent opener alongside fellow South Australian representative Jake Weatherald heading into his home Test beginning Wednesday.
If Khawaja is return to the XI from his back injury, it would surely be as opener alongside Weatherald, with Adelaide his second-most successful ground in that role (328 runs at 65.60).
However Australia coach Andrew McDonald argued earlier this week Khawaja has the “flexibility” to pay in the middle order as well.
He was spotted alone in the Allan Border Field nets on Wednesday evening after being named in Australia’s squad.
“He’ll be doing everything he needs to do to get right. He’s a class player, so even if he hasn’t hit for a while, he’ll still be ready to go,” his Brisbane Heat teammate Matt Renshaw said.
“We’re pretty similar people, he’ll deny that until the cows come home, but he’s been great for me. Speaking to him, he’ll do whatever he needs to do.”
McDonald made sure to keep the team’s options open when speaking earlier this week.
“It worked at this point in time,” he said of the Head-Weatherald combination.
“Pink-ball Test at the Gabba, we felt like that combination was right for those conditions and the opposition.
“We’ll always ask ourselves questions at the selection table, at our strategy meetings – what the best line-up is for that point in time?
“Each Test presents a new challenge. We’ve got the red ball in Adelaide – we haven’t done that too often recently. It’s great that Trav has put his hand up to do that in the past. We haven’t gone down that path a whole lot. We have in this instance, so will we continue to do that? We’ll have to wait and see.”
