Adelaide [Australia], December 11 (ANI): Former Australia captain Michael Clarke remained unconvinced of Usman Khawaja’s return to the Australian playing 11 against England for the third Test in Adelaide starting from December 17, yet acknowledged that selectors will likely pick him for the fixture.
Clarke’s comments suggest that Khawaja’s experience makes him a likely inclusion, but Clarke isn’t convinced it’s the right move.
This comes after Khawaja was ruled out of the Gabba Test after failing to recover from the back spasms he suffered in Perth, where he was forced down to No. 4 in the first innings and was then unable to bat in the second after a recurrence of the injury.
Travis Head replaced Khawaja as opener in Perth and delivered a match-winning century. He then partnered with Jake Weatherald in the second Test, where their opening stand of 77 set the tone for Australia’s first innings.
“I think the selectors will pick him [Usman Khawaja]. I think he’ll be back at the top of the order. I don’t know if I would make a change, to be honest. I think I’ve said before, normally with senior players like that and certainly when you get to that age, you’re selected for big tournaments, either a World Cup or an Ashes series, and at the end of those, your time is done,” Michael Clarke said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
“Australia are 2-0 up. We’ve got someone at the top of the order that scored an unbelievable hundred [Travis Head]. I don’t know if they need to go back to that now. I know that might be hard on Uzzy because he’s had a wonderful career and been a big player,” he added.
Clarke believes Khawaja’s spot in the team was pretty much secured before the Ashes, but with Head and Weatherald’s impressive opening partnership, he’s now leaning towards sticking with the dynamic duo at the top and feels Australia’s dominating style in the top order is working well.
“His spot wasn’t spoken about before a ball was bowled in this series, but things have changed. Australia’s dominating, their style of play is working, so I don’t know if I would go back to that,” Clarke concluded.
Australia announced a 15-member squad for the third Ashes fixture on Wednesday. Khawaja retained his place in the squad as he tries to earn his place back in the XI following his own injury issue.
Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins is also poised to make his comeback in the third Ashes Test against England, having been included in the 15-player squad.
Cummins is set to make his international comeback in the third Test against, having overcome his back injury issues. The 32-year-old hasn’t played at the international level since the third Test against the West Indies in July.
Australia squad (third Test only): Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster. (ANI)
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