Australian legend Ricky Ponting has backed the same top six that played against the West Indies to line up against England in the first Ashes Test in Perth, starting on November 21.
The former Australia skipper has no [place for the world’s No.1 batsman Marnus Labuschagne in his predicted batting order.
Labuschagne showed a return to form was on the cards when he scored an impressive one day hundred for Queensland last week but Ponting is yet to be convinced that he should usurp Sam Konstas, who also showed he’s up for the fight with a century against India A.
Ponting also declared both Cameron Green, who has returned to bowling, and Beau Webster, should play in the XI.
Sam Konstas. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
While coach Andrew McDonald has tipped the opening rounds of Sheffield Shield to be crucial to selections, Ponting said the order could be locked in now.
“Everyone’s been talking about how crucial these first four Sheffield Shield games are, particularly for some of our top-order batters, and I agree with that,” Ponting told SEN on Monday.
“But I also feel that it’s probably got almost to the point where it’s too late to be making too many big wholesale changes to the current team going into an Ashes series.
“Konstas has obviously just done well. He made a hundred for Australia A over in India, which is exactly what he needed, so I can see our top order being Konstas and Khawaja.
“I think the fact that they’ve moved Green up to No.3 in the Caribbean probably suggests to me that they see him as that long-term No.3.
“Smith will stay at four, Head at five, and then I would keep Beau at No.6.
“I can’t see how they could leave Beau out of the side and keep some of the other guys in. That’s the way that I’m sort of looking at it.”
Ponting said it could be worth considering moving Travis Head up the order.
“The other thing I thought they could do if they were worried about that (Green’s role) at all – and with our current openers who are probably not the fastest scorers – (is move Travis Head up),” Ponting said.
“Head is the second most established player in that (batting) line-up, probably behind Steve Smith, and the natural progression for players of that sort of age … you usually come into the side as a No.5 five or six player, and eventually you’d work your way up and find yourself in a No.3 slot.
“So, they could think about doing that with Travis Head and with the way that England play their cricket, to have someone like Head coming in at No.3 and being able to put some pressure back on (could be ideal).”
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