“He will open the batting” - Former Australia captain makes bold prediction amid Usman Khawaja’s lean form in BGT 2024-25
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels that rising batter Sam Konstas will eventually take over from Usman Khawaja as the opener in the red-ball side, but not in the Border-Gavaskar series for now. There is intense pressure on the veteran left-handed batter after a string of poor scores, amid the repeated dismissals against Jasprit Bumrah.
Australia recently made a shift in the opening combination by bringing in Nathan McSweeney into the mix. While the newcomer has managed to hold his guard against the Indian bowling unit, Khawaja has struggled a lot more. While the soon-to-be 38-year-old had hinted that he wishes to play one more home season, including the Ashes series, his scores have done little to back that case.
Konstas was in the reckoning when Smith was restored to No.4, but the lack of experience went against him. However, after a blistering hundred against India during the pink-ball warm-up game, a smooth start to the Sheffield Shield season, and the Big Bash League (BBL) brought him back in contention.
“I’ve watched a lot of his highlights. After the first Shield game this year when he scored two hundreds, I got asked about him and I thought they’d pick him in the Test team," Ponting said on SEN Radio (via Yahoo Sports)
"But then I thought a bit deeper about it. He has no experience around Australia yet but give him 12 months when he’s played at the Gabba, played at Perth and other venues. With a bit more experience, he’s got all the talent, he will open the batting for Australia within 18 months," Ponting added
Apart from Khawaja, the pressure is also on Marnus Labuschagne at No.3. The right-handed batter, after his gritty fifty during the pink ball Test in Adelaide, scored only 13 runs in the third Test at The Gabba.
"I don’t want to look too far ahead but I’d like to play another Ashes" - Usman Khawaja
Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar series, Khawaja had shed light on his future. He admitted that he would ideally play the next Ashes series on home soil, before calling it a day.
Australia have an away series against Sri Lanka, a potential World Test Championship (WTC) Final, and three Tests against West Indies in the Caribbean before the Ashes.
“I think everything’s got an end, there’s an expiry date on everything, and when you hold on too tight you stop focusing on the things that matter. I’m still out there, I’m trying to score as many runs as I can, trying to put my team in the best positions to win games, and I don’t want to be thinking, ‘I want to play for Australia for this many games, that many games’. I don’t want to look too far ahead but I’d like to play another Ashes,” Khawaja told the Wide World of Sports (via Fox Sports)
The opener will be expected to be among the runs in the upcoming Boxing Day Test against India, scheduled to begin on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).