‘He’ll slide straight in there’: Warner anoints forgotten man as long-term opener

2 months ago 8

David Warner has endorsed forgotten Queenslander Matt Renshaw as Australia’s long-term Test opener, pitching for Travis Head to slide down the order in Adelaide to hammer a beleaguered England into submission.

Warner, the most prolific Australian opener in Test history, has again argued for his regular opening partner and mate Usman Khawaja to return for the third Test on Wednesday alongside recent debutant Jake Weatherald. Back spasms ruled Khawaja out in Brisbane.

Discussing Australia’s opening talent stocks as he prepares for his own Big Bash campaign for Sydney Thunder, Warner spoke expansively on Sam Konstas’ development and the prospect of a Khawaja comeback after first Head, then Weatherwald, played pivotal aggressive knocks across the first two Ashes Tests.

Head seemingly hinted he would be walking out alongside Weatherald in Adelaide on the Willow Talk podcast this week, while coach Andrew McDonald also flagged the potential for Khawaja to shift into the middle-order in that scenario as well.

Along with batting great Matthew Hayden, Warner has advocated for specialist openers to be kept in the role and for Head’s batting pyrotechnics to be returned to No.5, where he has scored eight of his 10 Test centuries and turned matches in rapid time.

Beyond Khawaja, who turns 39 on day two of the third Test, Warner acknowledged the credentials of Konstas and rising Victorian Campbell Kellaway, but plumped for the combination of Weatherald’s robust scoring and Renshaw’s steady hand.

Matt Renshaw has been amongst the runs for Queensland.

Renshaw, 29, was trumped by Weatherald to start the Ashes in Perth but responded with back-to-back centuries for Queensland to keep himself in contention. He averages 29 across 14 Tests.

“We’ve got a lot of young [opening] talent there at the moment that’s coming through,” Warner said on Friday.

“But what I will say to George Bailey and the selectors is to show faith in their 31-year-old, Jake Weatherald. I think experience is key as well.

“I think when you pick guys who have been around first-class cricket, around the environment for a long time, you still need that senior figure in a way.

“So credit to them if they’ve picked him. But moving forward, Renshaw could be one. I think he’ll slide straight back in there. He’s had a taste of Test cricket.”

Asked if Khawaja should be afforded a farewell Test during the Ashes with the hosts leading the series 2-0, Warner said “having been in that situation you still have to score runs. You will deserve it if you score runs and then the selectors stick by you”.

As one of Australia’s most damaging batsmen has long argued though, Warner believes Head is best deployed in the middle.

“I think Uzzy comes back in, slides to the top and Trav goes down,” Warner said, pointing out that Australia had considered Head for a regular opening spot as early as 2022, only for Head’s middle-order hitting to be prioritised.

“I think for England, that’s probably a worse result for England - Travis Head going back down the order.

Jake Weatherald and Travis Head opened the batting in Brisbane.

“We didn’t have that aggressor down in the middle order [in previous years]. Australia has that now as well, and moving forward with whatever Uzzy decides to do, if he hangs them up they can look that way.

“But then it’s on all of us to understand that potentially might not work and Travis will have to go back down the order. And then they are going to have to look for another replacement. The selectors have a headache.”

Meanwhile, Konstas will return to a wider cricketing spotlight when the Thunder’s Big Bash campaign kicks off against champions Hobart on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old has fallen down the Test pecking order after his stunning Boxing Day debut last summer - to the point Renshaw and Kellaway were preferred for Australia A last week - before Konstas returned to form with a century against Queensland at the SCG.

Sam Konstas celebrates a much-needed century at the SCG.

“I think with Sam you just have to allow him to keep playing his natural game,” Warner said, having trodden a similar path with his own blazing debut as a virtual unknown T20 destroyer against South Africa in 2009.

“He had his taste of Test cricket last year … if he looks back and reflects on his own game, he might want to change some things.

“When you do get thrown into the limelight it can be a deer in the headlights, and you can get overwhelmed and sucked into the hype around everything.

“He has great support around him that will keep him level-headed. He just has to work on what he wants, and if you can find a balance between red ball and white ball.”

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