The Ashes cricket is often seen to be a game of moral selections, as well as being a game of cricket form – which one should you give the most credit for when it’s deciding how many runs your team will get in an innings, and therefore how many overs they’ll win? Ahead of the third test at Adelaide, Australia, they have found themselves with exactly this decision to make about their player, Usman Khawaja.
Experience Versus Momentum at the Top
Head’s performance as an interim opening batsman has indeed proven to be real, not staged. He has established momentum through his partnership(s) with others. Specifically, in Brisbane, he has provided a pace of play for Australia that has been essential in creating the time needed. However, his batting style is aggressive by nature, as he thinks in terms of white-ball cricket and not Test match attrition. It would likely either dominate or ultimately destroy him when facing a new Dukes ball at night in Adelaide.
The value in Khawaja is in the opposite currency: absorption. Historically, Australian Test teams have relied on a stable presence of major players, e.g., Langer/Hayden, Warner/Rogers, in their marquee Tests when the conditions become flat and when a patient mindset becomes a tool.
Khawaja’s Career Built on Adaptation
While we are aware of how much of an improvement Khawaja has made from being viewed as the “languid” player he was criticised for early on in his career. He is now able to demonstrate “gears when I want to”, and this is supported through his performance in all forms of cricket. The fact that late-career Khawaja has been able to score at a faster rate than earlier in his career, and still maintain a level of control, especially about spin and old balls, is important to consider in Adelaide.
In Adelaide, Test matches are known to change quickly from session to session. In order to be successful in these conditions, it is essential to have a player who can “bat time” for one hour and then “accelerate” the following hour. This is not a luxury; it is structural insurance.
Adelaide, History, and the Long Game
The Adelaide test has traditionally rewarded batting technique rather than impulse, particularly as the tests go on. A good start is important, but the real advantage comes from being experienced enough to win in the second and third innings of the test.
So when you add in the fact that this is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27, then this is more than just an Ashes battle. Dropping a proven test opener who is fit and ready for a points-based competition is a rare gamble that Australia is unlikely to take again, and one they don’t need to.
It is not about punishing Travis Head for performing his job exceptionally well. Rather, this is about the recognition that temporary success does not necessarily alter the logic of Test cricket. Head can provide flexibility to Australia through his adaptability. Khawaja provides certainty for Australia through his presence.
The real test for Australia will come in Adelaide: Will they choose momentum over control at the top of the order? The history of the Ashes series suggests that most teams do not allow themselves to fall victim to their immediate needs and therefore generally avoid giving up on the momentum of a series.
Australia may have no better option than to stick with the one player who has already shown they can cope with the pressure of scoring, survive, and adjust as the noise increases if he is fit, which, according to his own confident assessment, he is.
Stay updated on the latest cricket news and exciting updates at Six6slive. Dive into our in-depth articles and analyses to connect with the action today!