Sheffield Shield: Matt Renshaw, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft fail to impress in battle for David Warner’s spot

David Warner’s farewell tour has been all but assured after the key contenders for his Test spot failed their auditions. But, what happens after the SCG remains a huge headache.

David Warner’s three key opening rivals have failed to land the 11th hour punch that could have scuttled his plans for a farewell Test summer.

Selection week runs often count for double for fringe candidates but Cameron Bancroft (7), Marcus Harris (3 and 6) and Matt Renshaw (37 and 6) failed to put their hands up in this week’s Sheffield Shield rounds for a recall to national duties.

This has left Warner’s plan in solid shape as the selectors meet to choose a side for the first Test against Pakistan in Perth from December 16.

The team will be announced on Sunday, rendering next week’s Prime Minister’s XI four-dayer against Pakistan as irrelevant.

Bancroft’s imposing body of recent work over the last two Sheffield Shield summers means he must be mentioned in the discussion but, post Sandpapergate, you never get the impression the selectors are in a desperate rush in get him in the side.

And, more significantly, he has played 10 Tests for an average of 26 which means the panel feel they don’t owe him anything given the number of chances he has had.

Better players than Bancroft – Brad Hodge and Martin Love to name two – played fewer Tests than he has.

He is not the Heartbreak Kid but, with a first class average of nearly 40, Bancroft is certainly no mug either.

He may get his chance when both Warner and Usman Khawaja retire, particularly with his cause being supported by such weighty voices as Ricky Ponting.

Khawaja, with a serene century against Western Australia, looks set to continue the form which has made him a late career revelation in the Test arena over the past two years.

Cameron Green’s 96 for Western Australia against Queensland is likely to enhance his chances of batting at No 4 when Warner leaves.

It is Green’s favourite spot to bat.

Australia’s selectors will be pleased to hear his statements this week that he would relish any chance to bat up the order.

Harris has been taken on tour for Australia as the reserve batsman for several years yet his chances of a recall are fading.

After failing to land a Big Bash contract he will have to push his Test selection chances from club cricket if he is omitted from the Perth squad.

Warner, despite his fading recent Test form, has found Pakistan one of his favourite opponents at Test level.

He has five hundreds, including 335 not out in Adelaide, against them in 10 Tests and an average of more than 80.

GREEN CHALLENGES TEST SELECTORS WITH RETURN TO FORM

Cameron Green has challenged Australia’s selectors to reconsider their Plan A for the first Test of the summer with a robust return to form at the Gabba.

Green, it appears, has not initially been pencilled in for the three Test series against Pakistan but was set to win promotion for the two Tests against the West Indies after David Warner’s scheduled retirement after the Sydney Test.

While Warner is likely to be chosen, Green’s classy 96 on day three of the Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at the Gabba puts pressure on Warner and fellow all-rounder Mitch Marsh.

Green looked smooth and solid throughout the innings, highlighted with some smoking drives on both sides of the wicket.

Cameron Green celebrates 50 at the Gabba. He was eventually dismissed for 96. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

A century always seems to carry so much more gravitas than a score in the 90s and Green rocked back his head in anguish when brilliantly caught by Michael Neser at a floating third slip.

Green, meanwhile, will not inject himself into the Big Bash League this summer even if forced to bide his time for a return to the Test team.

Green is currently outside Australia’s XI after being dropped for Marsh for the last Test of the Ashes, but he gave selectors plenty to think about.

The innings completely endorsed the thinking from selectors that Green is the standout candidate to replace Warner when he retires midsummer, because a shuffling of the deck chairs in the batting order could allow the West Australian talent to thrive as a Test No.4.

Green’s excellent knock against Queensland keeps his hopes alive of still squeezing into the top six for the first Test of the summer against Pakistan in his home town Perth, but even if he is held back to carry the drinks he won’t be considering a stint in the Big Bash.

Cameron Green looks dejected after losing his wicket for 96. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

By his own admission, the 24-year-old was “cooked” during the recent World Cup after an exhausting year where he spent six months on the road in India and England, and is now putting a premium on rejuvenating his Test career.

Green made the most of his axing from the World Cup XI to give his body a mini pre-season in the gym and to start honing in on tweaks to his technique for the unique challenges of Test cricket which got the better of him by the end of the Ashes.

It’s why Green rejected offers from the Perth Scorchers and the cashed-up Brisbane Heat for this summer’s BBL and instead keep his mind and body fresh for the moment when an inevitable Test recall comes.

Green has smartly front-ended his summer with this week’s Sheffield Shield game for WA and next week’s four-day Prime Minister’s XI clash Pakistan in Canberra, but then he can get back to finetuning his game in the nets if made 12th man as expected for the Tests against Pakistan.

Green averages over 60 as a No. 4 batsman in Sheffield Shield cricket and believes he can make that key position his own in Test cricket.

Selectors agree, and the only complications to work through in making it happen will be Australia getting comfortable with the risks of moving arguably the world’s best Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne away from his preferred position at No. 3 to open the batting.

If selectors believe opening won’t hurt Labuschagne’s output as the anchor of the side, then there will be no issue slotting Steve Smith back into his old position at No. 3 and Green coming in at No. 4 – followed by the game-changing trio of Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey coming in at 5, 6 and 7.

Originally published as Sheffield Shield: Matt Renshaw, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft fail to impress in battle for David Warner’s spot