Analysis: Batting squeeze looms for thriving Australian cricketers, selectors faced with tough calls
In a far cry from their batting crisis of a few months ago, Australian selectors will have to squeeze nine players into seven spots in a big year of Test cricket. DANIEL CHERNY analyses who is a lock – and who may miss out.
Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
From a spot just a few months ago in which they were weighing up a series of suboptimal options to fill a vacancy at the top of the order, Australian selectors now look like they will have to deal with a tight batting squeeze come the World Test Championship final in June.
Though Josh Inglis’ selection was a “horses for courses” call, it is not as though he is only a serious consideration in Asia. The West Australian was the spare batter in Australia’s squad for much of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Had Travis Head been ruled out ahead of the MCG Test as he dealt with a niggling injury, Inglis was his logical replacement.
There is still plenty to play out in Sri Lanka, but at the very least, Inglis has reinforced the idea that he is a punishing middle-order slasher who has the game to succeed in certain Test situations.
Is he in the mix for the WTC decider against South Africa at Lord’s, followed by three Tests in the West Indies and most notably the Ashes at the end of the year? He certainly hasn’t done his cause any harm, and as Australia’s second gloveman, he is pretty much a lock for every tour more than a few hours away.
With Usman Khawaja appearing to have shored up his position with a double century, and Steve Smith again firing, the equation has become harder for Sam Konstas to make a snappy re-entrance.
Head will almost certainly drop back into the middle order for the one-off Test. The Caribbean, while not as spin-friendly as Asia, might be a different story though, depending on the type of pitches provided.
Cameron Green remains on track to be available as a specialist batter for the WTC decider. Green was man of the match at No. 4 in his second most recent Test at Wellington last season.
But Smith has returned successfully at second drop. In theory Green could head back to No. 6 given Mitch Marsh is now out of the picture, but if he cannot bowl then it will be tempting for selectors to stick with Beau Webster – outstanding on debut at the SCG – through the four mid-year Tests.
The best way to find room for Green could be as Khawaja’s opening partner, even if it is just a short-term move. That would however mean keeping Konstas on ice.
The upshot is that there is implicit pressure on a couple of players: Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey. Labuschagne made some handy contributions over the summer but still hasn’t quite turned the corner. His Test century drought stretches back to the 2023 Ashes, and he was the only one of the top six to miss out in Australia’s first innings at Galle.
He is not in imminent danger of losing his spot but when the music stops in June, nine won’t fit into seven.
It is extremely harsh to even mention Carey in this discussion given he batted beautifully for an unbeaten 46 on Thursday, performed solidly over the summer against India and was the run chase hero in Christchurch last March.
But ultimately a team only needs one wicketkeeper. And if Inglis keeps up this sort of batting form, he will give the panel plenty to ponder.
With the fridge much fuller, Nathan McSweeney will likely have to bide his time for a recall. Kurtis Patterson, whose resurgence continued with an Australia A century this week, will also need a few to fall over if he is to get a look-in this year.
As for Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw – the trio who 12 months ago had been jostling around the fringes – you can pretty much forget about it, albeit Renshaw is young enough to come again.
Likewise Peter Handscomb – consistent as he has been in domestic cricket – will need a lot to go right to play for Australia again after narrowly missing selection for this tour.
Originally published as Analysis: Batting squeeze looms for thriving Australian cricketers, selectors faced with tough calls
Bonkers Kohli scene turns sour in 13-year first
Virat Kohli got a king’s welcome at his first domestic game in 13 years but his reign lasted just 15 balls in a devastating blow to the heaving crowd.
‘Like quicksand’: England’s horror fielding woes exposed
Just when you thought England’s Ashes series couldn’t get any worse, it produced a shambolic fielding display as its woes were slammed as being “like quicksand”.