Consecutive Sheffield Shield centuries has rocketed Usman Khawaja into contention for an Ashes spot, according to former Australian captain Mark Taylor.
Khawaja, who turns 35 in December, played the last of his 44 Tests in England in 2019, spending the 2020-21 season plying his trade for Queensland, where he averaged 59.13 in the Shield competition.
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He’s started this season in much the same vein, making 174 against South Australia earlier this month, and following it up with 119 against Tasmania this week, albeit coming to the wicket with Queensland in command at 2-203.
Taylor told Wide World of Sports that he believes Will Pucovski will open the batting with David Warner if he’s fit, leaving just one spot up for grabs.
“Number five is the only position that’s open, as far as I can see,” Taylor said.
“It’s an interesting discussion, Matthew Wade is the incumbent from the Indian series, but he was dropped for the tour of South Africa that never went ahead earlier this year.”
Taylor said the choice will come down to two players.
“It’s a real toss up for me, I think, between Travis Head and Khawaja. It’s line-ball and the selectors have a tough call to make.”
Head averages 39 from his 19 Tests to date, having made centuries against Sri Lanka in February 2019 and New Zealand later that same year.
Like Khawaja, Head played in the 2019 Ashes in England, averaging just 27 before being dropped for the fifth Test.
The South Australian made a century against Western Australian last month, before plundering 230 in a 50-over match against Queensland.
But Taylor pointed to Khawaja’s more accomplished Test record as one reason for a possible recall, noting that selectors may feel his extra experience could be vital in such an important series.
“That’s a good call, it’s very true. You’re often looking to the future, but winning the Ashes is so important that you pick the players who you think can win this summer,” he explained.
“That’s certainly a tick for Khawaja, because he’s done it before at Test level against quality bowling. I still remember the century he made against South Africa in Adelaide in 2016, that was top-class.
“He’s done that, Travis Head hasn’t really done something like that at Test level just yet.”
Taylor dismissed any concerns over Khawaja batting at number five in the Ashes, even though all but three of his 77 Test innings have been in the top four. He batted at number six briefly in Sri Lanka in 2011, but the likely makeup of the Australian side was a factor in Taylor’s call.
“You’ve got Cameron Green at number six who’s still finding his feet a little bit, so I think they’d like some extra experience at number five,” he explained.
“With that in mind, I think Khawaja becomes a real chance of playing. It comes down to Head, Khawaja and maybe Wade, unless someone comes out of left-field in the next month.”
One who could have staked a claim was New South Wales left-hander Kurtis Patterson, who played two Tests in 2019, making a century against Sri Lanka in Canberra.
Taylor says his innings of 48 on Thursday was a big opportunity missed.
“Kurtis Patterson made 40-odd against Victoria but didn’t kick on, that was the kind of innings, if he’d made a century in a low-scoring battle that would have almost counted for double.”
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