Ashes Test opener power rankings: Early markers put down, now it’s time for the bat-off

We’ve had some cricket. Some runs have been scored, but have any of them been persuasive?

This is the second edition of the Ashes Test Opener Power Rankings, where we update the cricketing zeitgeist on who should be opening for Australia come the First Test in Perth, which is now less two months away.

Since our inaugural edition two months ago, we’ve had a handful of One Day domestic fixtures plus two Australia A fixtures in India.

We’re not overly fussed about the local white-ball fixtures mainly because the ball is the wrong colour but we cast our eye over nevertheless.

As for the Australia A matches in Lucknow, they were somewhat telling.

The first match was on a road, so it was important to cash in but also equally important to not miss out. The second match was in tougher conditions, any runs attracted greater currency in many respects.

So, let’s get on with it, two months later, with two months to go, what changes have we made, how have we assessed the cricket of late?

Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja. (Photo by Santanu Banik/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Honourable Mentions

Sam Whiteman

Matt Renshaw

Jayden Goodwin

Cameron Bancroft

Marcus Harris: Harris slips out of the top ten. Some of the News Corp journos think he is in the mix, and perhaps we’re being cruel here with our assessment. But at 33-years old, there are honestly just too many ahead of him.

Crucially, and this is often overlooked, Harris is no longer even the best opener in Victoria. Harris made 561 runs last season @ 33, Campbell Kellaway made 738 runs @ 41. Let’s be serious.

So, to our top 10; not much has changed, but things need to be clarified.

10. Marnus Labuschagne: A one-day hundred for Queensland has nudged his case, we concede. But let’s be honest here, going from #13 to #10 in these rankings is akin to rearranging the lawn furniture on the Titanic in many respects.

We cannot be any clearer – Marnus was not making runs at Test level and has not been for some time. And he was hardly lights out when he represented Queensland in the Shield last season, only one score over 50 from five innings.

He should not be the next man in until we see red ball runs. Any list who has him in their top contenders can not have been paying attention.

9. Henry Hunt: he should be ahead of Harris, that was an error last time round, Harris scored one 100 and three 50s last Shield season, Hunt scored three and two respectively; he was just a better bet. To those out there who have Harris ahead of Hunt, it’s ok to admit a mistake like we are doing here.

8. Travis Head: this is a watch – if no-one makes runs in the first Shield season, watch him shoot up the rankings in a break glass, panic move!

7. Campbell Kellaway – was a chance to shoot up in these rankings after his India A tour, but we’ve given sway to McSweeney, who racked up more valuable runs in that second tour match, despite Kellaway having the much better go of it in the first.

But make no mistake, only Jake Weatherald had better Shield form as an opener after Christmas last season, so Kellaway ascending these rankings in coming editions isn’t without a shout. In racing parlance, he might be a bit too far back as the field enters the straight, but we like his credentials, can’t be totally ruled out.

Nathan McSweeney and Usman Khawaja of Australia walk out of the player tunnel before batting prior to day one of the Third Test match in the series between Australia and India at The Gabba on December 14, 2024 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

6. Nathan McSweeney – He and Kellaway swap, we liked Kellaway’s score in the first Australia A game, but McSweeny impressed in tougher conditions in that second game. Two really good scores when batting was harder to come by, that’s not nothing. Still unfancied in this race to some degree, but his case is likeable. It could end up a case of “we could do a lot worse.”

5. Usman Khawaja – yes, these rankings don’t have him in the Test team. We unpacked the ‘why’ in the prior edition so I’ll redirect your curiosities there for brevity, but just ask yourself one simple question – what would England want?

Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes upon hearing our local press committing to Khawaja as a lock to open in Perth would be over the moon. The English setup see a potentially washed-up 39-year-old who one innings in Galle aside has looked shaky at best for many seasons now. How good?!

So, on that logic, why are we missing the wood from the trees? Blind loyalty? Beware the thought to stick fat with Khawaja when logic says otherwise.

4. Sam Konstas – first innings, over in India A, gets the all-important triple figures. Big tick. Missed out in the second match but first-class hundreds in this race are what we’re after.

The West Indies tour was a massive fail but luckily the Ashes will be played on Australian pitches, so six-month old Caribbean form won’t mean as much by then. A cracking start to the Shield and he will rise further in these rankings you’d think.

3. Kurtis Patterson – holds here because we still see him as a much more reliable prospect than many others.

Put it this way, we don’t know if Patterson will do well, we don’t. But with him we feel there’s every chance he’d succeed. Marnus, however, as an example has been long out of form when it comes to red ball cricket, so you’re taking a real leap of faith if you going down that path.

Patterson remains the safer wager. He looks as good a plug and go as there is: mature, game is in good order, and not to be overlooked can properly occupy the crease too. We like his case.

2. Tim Ward

1. Jake Weatherald.

No change to these two. This writer still feels that these two present as the best chance to lead the Australian batting lineup come November for the reasons outlined in the first edition of the rankings.

Yes, both debutants, but no-one in this list presents a well-rounded compelling, confident alternative, if they existed, we wouldn’t have this column.

All contenders come with question marks; can they shake bad form, are they too old, have they made enough runs; the risks are there for all.

But in Ward and Weatherald, until the Shield starts and we see new trends, we are sticking fat.

That all-important Shield season starts this week so we’ll be back with you after Round One with any necessary adjustments.

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