The Ashes: Australia ponder surprise new middle-order role for Usman Khawaja

The door is open for Usman Khawaja to continue his Test career as Australia consider the beleaguered veteran as a middle-order option on return from injury.

Jake Weatherald and Travis Head’s blistering opening partnership in the second Ashes Test looked to have spelt trouble for Khawaja, who missed the big win with his back issue.

The injury had left Khawaja to watch on as his replacement Head made a game-defining century in the series opener, before second-gamer Weatherald made a first Test half-century in Brisbane.

Khawaja is expected to be fit for the third Test that begins next Wednesday in Adelaide, where Australia will push for an unassailable 3-0 lead.

He will turn 39 during that match and has made only one Test ton since the 2023 Ashes.

But just when selectors appeared to have a top-order selection dilemma on their hands - one that could have potentially ended Khawaja’s Test career - coach Andrew McDonald floated a new role for the veteran.

“The assumption is that Ussie can only open as well; I think he does have the flexibility, and we like to think that all of our batters have the flexibility, to be able to perform anywhere in that order,” McDonald said.

The revelation comes after Australia have spent the best part of two years configuring the top order around Khawaja.

Nathan McSweeney, Sam Konstas, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Head have all opened alongside him since David Warner’s retirement in 2024.

“We haven’t discussed moving him previously but we’re open to what the batting order would look like moving forward, should there be any moving parts,” McDonald said.

“(But) we haven’t entered the conversation.”

In Test cricket, Khawaja batted solely as an opener between his heroic return to the team at No.5 in the fourth Test of the previous home Ashes and the start of this series.

But in 44 Test matches before that 2022 comeback, Khawaja mostly batted lower down the order, coming in at first drop in 66 of 77 innings.

A recall this time would likely come at the expense of Josh Inglis rather than incumbent No.3 Marnus Labuschagne.

Inglis was called in for the Gabba Test to account for Head shifting to the top and made a start with 23 runs from 25 balls before Ben Stokes skittled him under lights.

But so too would McDonald not guarantee that Weatherald and Head would remain Australia’s opening partnership for the remainder of the series.

“It worked at this point in time,” he said.

“Pink-ball Test at the Gabba, we felt like that combination was right for those conditions and the opposition.

“We’ll continue to ask those questions what the line-up is at that point in time. We’re taking this Test by Test, each Test presents a new challenge.”