Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has revealed that white-ball stars Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis are in strong contention to bat at No. 3 in the upcoming Test series against South Africa. Marnus Labuschagne’s place in the XI is under scrutiny after a run of inconsistent performances in the format.
Australia have won 19 of their last 25 Test matches and currently sit at the top of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings. However, their top-order concerns resurfaced during the 1-1 drawn home series against Bangladesh, with the batting lineup failing to cross 300 in any of the three completed innings.
Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis Boost Test Claims After Zimbabwe Tour
Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis had strong limited-overs performances on Australia’s recent tour of Zimbabwe. Connolly was named Player of the Series after scoring 51, 78, and 21, while also taking three wickets. Inglis smashed a 102 off 100 balls in the third ODI in Harare.
The upcoming three-match ODI series at Kingsmead in Durban will give both batters another chance to impress the selectors. They will face several South African bowlers who are expected to feature in the Test series. Neither player has extensive first-class experience in the top order.
Connolly has batted above No. 5 only twice in 21 first-class innings, while Inglis has done so nine times in 107 innings. However, Inglis has said he is prepared to bat anywhere if it helps him earn a Test spot, while Connolly is also open to batting at No. 3 or in the middle order.
Andrew McDonald Backs Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis’ Flexibility
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald is not concerned about their limited experience at the top of the order. He pointed to Travis Head and Usman Khawaja as examples of batters who successfully moved from the middle order to open in Test cricket.
“We’re open minded to that, definitely,” McDonald told cricket.com.au. “Some of our best openers have gone from five to opening. Travis went from five to opening, and ‘Uzzie’ went from five to opening. I think it’s all about timing and how prepared they are for that.”
“‘Coop’ hasn’t played a lot of first-class cricket, so his experiences are quite narrow. He’s played a lot of white-ball cricket in recent times. Can that translate into being a top order option? Or is he better suited through the middle?”
Australia A Batters Could Challenge for Test Spot
Australia also have several alternatives in their Australia A squad currently touring India. Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, and Campbell Kellaway are among the top-order options in the squad led by Peter Handscomb in Puducherry.
However, McDonald indicated that any call-up from Australia A would need to happen early enough to give the player time to prepare. Moving directly from India’s turning pitches to South Africa’s pace-friendly conditions would present a significant challenge.
Australia could also adjust the positions of their existing Test batters. Selection chair George Bailey has left open the possibility of moving Steve Smith to No. 3, which would allow Cameron Green to bat at No. 4.
Another option would be to move Travis Head back to No. 5 after his struggles against Bangladesh. That would create another opening at the top of the order and give the selectors more flexibility when deciding who replaces Marnus Labuschagne.
Also read: Jack Edwards gets Australia ODI call-up for South Africa series
