Tubby names contenders for 'tough' Ashes call

3 years ago 441

Consecutive Sheffield Shield centuries has rocketed Usman Khawaja into contention for an Ashes spot, according to erstwhile Australian skipper Mark Taylor.

Khawaja, who turns 35 successful December, played the past of his 44 Tests successful England successful 2019, spending the 2020-21 play plying his commercialized for Queensland, wherever helium averaged 59.13 successful the Shield competition.

He's started this play successful overmuch the aforesaid vein, making 174 against South Australia earlier this month, and pursuing it up with 119 against Tasmania this week, albeit coming to the wicket with Queensland successful bid astatine 2-203.

Taylor told Wide World of Sports that helium believes Will Pucovski volition unfastened the batting with David Warner if he's fit, leaving conscionable 1 spot up for grabs.

"Number 5 is the lone presumption that's open, arsenic acold arsenic I tin see," Taylor said.

"It's an absorbing discussion, Matthew Wade is the incumbent from the Indian series, but helium was dropped for the circuit of South Africa that ne'er went up earlier this year."

Taylor said the prime volition travel down to 2 players.

"It's a existent flip up for me, I think, betwixt Travis Head and Khawaja. It's line-ball and the selectors person a pugnacious telephone to make."

Head averages 39 from his 19 Tests to date, having made centuries against Sri Lanka successful February 2019 and New Zealand aboriginal that aforesaid year.

Like Khawaja, Head played successful the 2019 Ashes successful England, averaging conscionable 27 earlier being dropped for the 5th Test.

The South Australian made a period against Western Australian past month, earlier plundering 230 successful a 50-over lucifer against Queensland.

But Taylor pointed to Khawaja's much accomplished Test grounds arsenic 1 crushed for a imaginable recall, noting that selectors whitethorn consciousness his other acquisition could beryllium captious successful specified an important series.

"That's a bully call, it's precise true. You're often looking to the future, but winning the Ashes is truthful important that you prime the players who you deliberation tin triumph this summer," helium explained.

"That's surely a tick for Khawaja, due to the fact that he's done it earlier astatine Test level against prime bowling. I inactive retrieve the period helium made against South Africa successful Adelaide successful 2016, that was top-class.

"He's done that, Travis Head hasn't truly done thing similar that astatine Test level conscionable yet."

Taylor dismissed immoderate concerns implicit Khawaja batting astatine fig 5 successful the Ashes, adjacent though each but 3 of his 77 Test innings person been successful the apical four. He batted astatine fig six concisely successful Sri Lanka successful 2011, but the apt constitution of the Australian broadside was a origin successful Taylor's call.

"You've got Cameron Green astatine fig six who's inactive uncovering his feet a small bit, truthful I deliberation they'd similar immoderate other acquisition astatine fig five," helium explained.

"With that successful mind, I deliberation Khawaja becomes a existent accidental of playing. It comes down to Head, Khawaja and possibly Wade, unless idiosyncratic comes retired of left-field successful the adjacent month."

One who could person staked a assertion was New South Wales left-hander Kurtis Patterson, who played 2 Tests successful 2019, making a period against Sri Lanka successful Canberra.

Taylor says his innings of 48 connected Thursday was a large accidental missed.

"Kurtis Patterson made 40-odd against Victoria but didn't footwear on, that was the benignant of innings, if he'd made a period successful a low-scoring conflict that would person astir counted for double."

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