Ashes: David Warner backs Usman Khawaja as Australia’s opener for Adelaide Test

Former Australian cricketer David Warner has endorsed Usman Khawaja's return as opener for the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, suggesting that maintaining Travis Head at the number five position would be more challenging for England. The selectors face a crucial decision as Australia has the opportunity to secure the Ashes series, following Head and Jake Weatherald's impressive opening partnership in Perth during Khawaja's absence due to back spasms.

Head has demonstrated remarkable success at the number five position, maintaining an average of 41.46 and scoring eight of his ten Test centuries from that spot, with three of them at his home ground, Adelaide Oval."I think Uzzy comes back in, slides to the top, and Trav goes down. That's probably a worse result for England, Travis Head going back down the order," Warner told reporters, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.Warner acknowledged Head's potential as a future opening batsman after Khawaja's retirement, while expressing uncertainty about its long-term viability."At the end of the day, Travis put his hand up to bat in the situation he was in.

He came out and batted in the way Travis Head does. You see plenty of interviews from Trav saying that is Uzzy's spot, and if when the time comes, they ask him to go up the order, he wouldn't mind doing that," Warner added."We didn't have that aggressor down in the middle order [in previous years]. Australia has that now as well, and moving forward with whatever Uzzy decides to do, if he hangs them up, they can look that way. "But then it's on all of us to understand that potentially might not work and Travis will have to go back down the order.

And then they are going to have to look for another replacement. The selectors have a headache," said the former Australian opener.The Australian cricket team has experienced difficulties establishing a consistent opening partnership since Warner's retirement in early 2024. Khawaja has already partnered with five different openers in just 15 Tests before his recent injury.