Australia is in a selection bind for the Old Trafford Test as a result of Mitchell Marsh’s excellent comeback, and David Warner’s spot may come under examination.
After suffering a small hamstring strain in the Headingley game that allowed Marsh to return, Cameron Green is expected to be ready for the fourth Test. PrBeforehe the final day of play in Leeds, he bowled, ran sprints, and temporarily filled in as a fielder.
However, Marsh proved to be very difficult to leave out after scoring an incredible century on the first day of the match in his first Test in four years. As a result, someone else will need to step up unless they decide not to insert Green right away.
David Warner is once again in the spotlight following his two missteps at Headingley, where he twice edged Stuart Broad to slip from outside the wicket, bringing his total of losses to Broad to 17.
Although he was dropped in the slips on 20, that came after some helpful efforts earlier in the series, including the 66 on the first day at Lord’s in difficult batting circumstances. Including the double century against South Africa at the SCG, his overall Test average since 2021 is still 28.17.
Australia will evaluate their options during the break before the match against England at Old Trafford to prevent the Ashes from heading to a decider at The Oval, according to captain Pat Cummins, who is not a selector.
You don’t close any doors, Cummins said. We will take a deep breath because we still have nine to ten days. We’ll take a few days off.
“However, everybody becomes involved again. Greeny must be able to play for Manchester. Josh [Hazlewood] will also return there. We will look at the pitch, have a discussion, and decide on the best XI once we have a full roster.
Marsh scored his third Test century in 102 balls, all of which came against England. He also contributed a few wickets.
Cummins acknowledged it would be challenging to omit him. Yes, it’s conceivable, but wasn’t that a fairly spectacular week? said he.
David Warner has a retirement strategy in place, having stated earlier in the tour that he intended to play his final match against Pakistan at the SCG in January. David Warner faced further scrutiny before that because the first Ashes squad was only chosen up to the conclusion of the Lord’s Test, but he performed well enough in the early games to at least moderate the conversation.
Australia’s current predicament is comparable to what transpired during the 2019 tour, when Marnus Labuschagne excelled in his role as Steven Smith’s interim substitute, forcing someone else to make room for Smith’s return. Usman Khawaja was the scapegoat in that situation.
Cummins said he was still on course to play all six Tests on the trip, which was his declared goal before India defeated Australia to win the World Test Championship. He is the only Australian fast who has participated in all four games so far. Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad have both played in all three of England’s assaults, however Robinson is currently questionable for injury after experiencing back spasms at Headingley.
Actually, I feel even better than I had hoped, according to Cummins. “I have no aches or pains or injuries. Therefore, fingers crossed. Should be good.
Josh Inglis, who rushed home after Edgbaston for the birth of his child, will make his return on Friday. Michael Neser has been released from the squad and will play the upcoming round of County Championship matches for Glamorgan. He was replaced by Jimmy Peirson as the backup wicketkeeper.
The Australian team will have a short break and take advantage of the lengthier time between these two Test matches before starting their preparations for Old Trafford, where they were able to win the Ashes in 2019.
When asked if he thought England’s victory would change the series’ momentum, Cummins responded briefly. “Not really, no. It’s 2-1.”
