"Opening the batting with him would be a mistake"- Justin Langer on why Mitchell Marsh & Cameron Green shouldn't replace David Warner as opener
Former Australian opener and head coach Justin Langer explained why all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green shouldn't be considered as makeshift openers to replace under-fire David Warner.
Marsh made it into the Australian XI at Headingley as Green wasn't fully fit. However, he smashed a sensational hundred and now there are talks about including both in the XI and making one of them an opener by dropping Warner.
In his column for The Telegraph, here's what Justin Langer had to write about this particular idea involving Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green:
"Cameron Green has never opened in red-ball cricket in his life and his inference was that he is not ready for that responsibility at this stage of his fledgling Test career. Mitch Marsh’s father Geoff was an opening batsman for Australia; Mitch isn’t. Opening the batting with him would be a mistake in my opinion."
Another theory circling around is the possibility to ask Marnus Labuschagne to open. On this, Langer added:
"The problem of moving Labuschagne up the order causes interference to the natural rhythm of the group and disrupts the rest of the batting order. Players prefer batting in the positions they become accustomed to."
Justin Langer himself shifted from No.3 to opening
Justin Langer initially batted for Australia at the No.3 position but then became a successful opener. However, he believes he also had enough time and practice on his hands to 'master the art' of facing a new ball.
On this, he stated:
"My long-held view is that if you bat in the top three, you can bat anywhere in the top six. From four down, you are more likely to succeed as a middle-order player only. Facing the new ball in a Test match is a skill that takes time to master. Players like David Boon have succeeded moving from three to open, as did I, but we had the luxury of facing the new ball in our previous roles."
If Australia sticks with Warner, it could mean that only one among Marsh and Green plays and that could be harsh on whoever misses out.