Moises Henriques called in as Test back-up for Cameron Green

Moises Henriques is an outside chance for a stunning Test comeback on Thursday after being added to the Australian squad.

Allrounder Moises Henriques is flying to Adelaide as cover for Cameron Green

Moises Henriques is an outside chance for a stunning Test comeback on Thursday after being added to the Australian squad.

The NSW allrounder has been cleared of a mild hamstring strain which kept him out of Australia A’s second tour match against India and he will fly to Adelaide with Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green later on Monday.

Australian officials are confident Green is making strong inroads in his recovery from concussion, but if the 21-year-old is ruled out Henriques is a massive chance to play his first Test since 2016.

Injuries to David Warner and Will Pucovski had left Australia a batsman short in their original squad of 17, but selectors have decided to go for middle-order option Henriques which further suggests they will consider shifting Marnus Labuschagne up the order to open in the first Test.

Australia do have another injury concern though with squad member Sean Abbott staying behind in Sydney after suffering a mild calf strain against India in the Australia A match.

Abbott is expected to rejoin the squad for the second Test at the MCG, and was never a chance to play in Adelaide anyway.

WHY AUSSIES SHOULD ‘GAMBLE’ AND PROMOTE PAINE TO OPENER

Tim Paine should be the man to solve Australia’s top order crisis and open the batting in the first Test, according to former selector Mark Waugh.

That decision remains one of the most inspired in Australian Test history.

Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Wade are both being considered to open the batting in the Adelaide opener with David Warner and Will Pucovski out, and Joe Burns haplessly out of form.

But Waugh has made the shock call that captain courageous Paine is now the man to move up the order from No 7 and absorb the early bullets for Australia alongside Marcus Harris.

“I thought of a left-field suggestion just out the back before. I’m going with Tim Paine to open the batting,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.

“I’m going to have Wade and Green both make the side, Paine and (Harris) opening the batting. He’s opened in first-class cricket. Solid player.”

Tim Paine plays touch footy at Adelaide Oval

Captain Paine has never batted in the top five in a Test match, with his technique against the new ball also rarely tested at first-class level.

The challenge would be magnified against the pink ball and under Adelaide Oval’s lights, and against an all-star pace attack headlined by Jasprit Bumrah.

But with Warner (groin) and Pucovski (concussion) unavailable and Joe Burns seemingly batting himself out of calculations with a run of disastrous dismissals, it has gone from feast to famine for Australian selectors.

Burns, opening the batting for Australia A, has made five runs from four knocks against India and is averaging a Glenn McGrath-esque 6.8 runs for the summer.

That is why Waugh wants Paine to promote himself, ensuring the blue-chip middle order of Marnus Labuschagne (No 3), Steve Smith (4), Travis Head (5) and Matthew Wade (6) remains undisturbed.

“The other choices, you’ve got Shaun Marsh, (Usman) Khawaja, Wade to open maybe as well,” said Waugh.

“And you could push Labuschagne up to open.

“It’s only going to be a short-term fix.

“On this occasion, there’s just so many moving parts with injuries and players in and out of form, it’s a gamble whoever you go with.”

The centre wicket nets Australia is using at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Getty Images

Waugh said Harris should be locked in as Australia’s “banker” after bludgeoning 239 against South Australia recently and posting starts of 35, 25 not-out and 26 in the tour games against India.

The only caveat Waugh placed on his unlikely pairing was if Australia fields first in the first Test match, which begins on Thursday.

Waugh told Fox Cricket that under that scenario Australia should consider flipping Paine with Wade, so that the captain gets a break after wearing the wicketkeeping gloves all day.

Legendary spinner Shane Warne called for a Wade-Harris opening stand and said discarded veteran Shaun Marsh should be placed on standby for Cameron Green.

It appears only lingering concussion symptoms could deny all-rounder Green a fairytale Baggy Green as a 21-year-old.

When Warner was suspended two years ago, the Aussies deployed Aaron Finch at the top of the order against India, despite the middle-order batsman’s extremely limited experience facing a new red ball.

The move quickly backfired with Finch failing to survive the series and his Test career over after just five matches.

The Daily Telegraph