Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson believes the top order should be reshaped ahead of the Ashes series at home.
Australia’s top order has been struggling in Test cricket, including on their recent tour of the West Indies. Johnson is concerned and feels major changes in the batting lineup are needed before the Ashes series begins on home soil.
Since David Warner’s retirement after the Sydney Test against Pakistan in January 2024, no one has settled as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner. Attempts to open with Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne have also failed.
Labuschagne was dropped from the playing XI on the West Indies tour after the ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa, where he opened the innings for the first time in his career. Once a dependable No. 3 for Australia, he has been out of form for a long time in whites.
Cameron Green was given his first chance at No. 3 in the final at Lord’s, but he managed only five balls across two innings. On the current West Indies tour, he has struggled as well, scoring 4, 0, 3, and 15 in the four innings so far. In the second Test in Grenada, he was out for 26 in the first innings and finished day two not out on 6.
Last year, after Nathan Lyon’s failure in the first three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, Sam Consta was tried as Khawaja’s opening partner for the last two Tests. He made a splash on debut in Melbourne with some audacious shots on the way to a fifty, but failed to make a big impact in the remaining matches of the series.
Consta missed the Sri Lanka tour and the World Test Championship final, and despite returning for the Caribbean tour, he has yet to find consistent form. In the four innings so far, he has only once reached double digits after his debut 60, scoring 8, 23, 22, 3, 5, 25, and 0 in subsequent innings.
Khawaja himself has not scored a big innings since his double century in the first Test against Sri Lanka. At Lord’s in the final, he scored 0 and 6. In the Caribbean, his scores were 47 and 15 in the first Test and 16 and 2 in the second.
The five-Test Ashes series starts next November. England will be looking to win their first series on Australian soil since 2010-11.
In a column published on Saturday in West Australian, Johnson outlined the need to change the batting order.
“Beating Australia in their own conditions is tough for any team. But starting an innings on the world’s fastest, bounciest wickets can be tough for any batsman. The Australian top order doesn’t seem ready for any conditions. Since returning from the West Indies series, teenager opener Sam Consta has scores of 3, 5, 25, and 0 outside the off stump. The same goes for new No. 3 Cameron Green.”
Johnson believes players in form in first-class cricket, especially Sheffield Shield and in Australian conditions, should be given a chance in the Ashes.
“To answer the real question: would I change the top four before the Ashes? Yes. If players have experience at the Sheffield Shield level and know their game well, why wouldn’t they be given a chance? Honestly, if I were in charge, I would have started making changes years ago, bringing in players who can perform and help smooth a generational transition.”
“For now, if openers Consta and Khawaja want to keep their partnership, they must build an important one in the third Test against West Indies. Even if Green scores some runs at No. 3, I don’t think that’s the best position for him.”
