Great's 'three options' for Warner's Ashes partner

3 years ago 288

The premier contenders to spouse David Warner astatine the apical of the bid successful the archetypal lucifer of the Ashes should beryllium Marcus Harris, Travis Head and Usman Khawaja, erstwhile Test skipper Michael Clarke believes.

There is present greater uncertainty astir Warner's opening spouse aft the prodigious Will Pucovski suffered different concussion past week.

Having made a half-century connected his Test debut against India astatine the SCG successful January – a enarthrosis wounded suffered during the aforesaid lucifer sidelined him – the 23-year-old was a beardown accidental of receiving different shot.

But little than 2 months retired from the opening Test of the Ashes, acceptable to statesman astatine The Gabba connected December 8, a concussion suffered portion receiving throwdowns has formed uncertainty implicit Pucovski's availability.

"Marcus Harris is decidedly an option," Clarke said connected Big Sports Breakfast.

"But what astir if you unfastened the batting with Travis Head and past support (a spot) astatine No.5, whether it beryllium Matthew Wade oregon idiosyncratic else?

"Or, conscionable to propulsion different spanner successful the works, bring Usman Khawaja backmost and fto him open.

"They're my 3 options."

Head has chiefly batted astatine No.5 implicit the 19 Tests he's played since making his debut, which came against Pakistan successful Dubai successful October 2018.

The 27-year-old batted astatine No.4 successful his classy Sheffield Shield sound of 163 past month, portion helium slotted successful astatine archetypal driblet arsenic helium bludgeoned 230 from conscionable 127 balls successful the Marsh one-day cupful this week.

But Clarke isn't acrophobic by Head's deficiency of acquisition arsenic an opening batter.

"I deliberation if the wickets are mostly what they are successful Australia, I deliberation (Head would) beryllium good opening the batting," Clarke said.

"If they permission immoderate writer connected them and (James) Anderson and (Stuart) Broad travel into their own, past nary substance who opens (the batting for Australia)... you look astatine Davey Warner. If there's immoderate seam, Warner's going to find, particularly Broady, difficult, similar helium did successful England.

"But you look astatine his grounds successful Australia; helium dominates due to the fact that pitches are much consistent, you don't get arsenic overmuch sideways (movement).

"That's wherefore I deliberation idiosyncratic similar Head oregon adjacent Uzzie, who are truly No.3 oregon No.4 specialists – I reckon either of them could bash it..."

Harris is Warner's incumbent opening partner, having earned a callback for Australia's lucifer against India astatine The Gabba successful January.

But the right-hander managed scores of conscionable 5 and 38, portion helium lone averages 23.77 from the 10 Tests he's played.

Head averages 39.75 from his 19 Tests and Khawaja, who's spent clip arsenic an opener, archetypal driblet and middle-order batter during his 44 Tests, averages 40.66.

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