After scoring only four runs together in the World Test Championship final victory over India, Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald is confident that openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja can bounce back in the Ashes.
At The Oval, Khawaja had a forgettable test, getting out after scoring a duck and 13 runs, while Warner, after a promising first innings of 43 runs, was caught behind and only scored one run.
Warner was removed by Stuart Broad seven times during the 2019 Ashes series, and he finished with a batting average of 9.50. This was due to the fact that Australia had difficulty scoring runs at the top of the order.
McDonald told the Australian media, “I thought Davey moved well in the first innings (against India),”
“He was suffocated from the side of the leg down. When you look at it, your first thought is probably something along the lines of “a little bit of luck there, and potentially that’s a bigger score.”
However, the way he moved and the manner he played are just what we are looking for.
Khawaja was taken out of the squad after the first three matches of the 2019 Ashes, but the slick left-hander has been racking up the runs ever since he was brought back for the test in Sydney against England in January 2022.
“Uzzie’s performance over the past two years speaks for itself. According to McDonald, “There are going to be failure points for any batters, and he’s had one.”
However, this does not imply that he is any less prepared.
After it was determined that spinner Jack Leach would not be able to participate in the Ashes series, the all-rounder Moeen Ali, who was set to retire from test cricket in September 2021, was brought to the England team for the first two matches.
McDonald stated that it would be a “challenge” for England to adapt their offense to accommodate Moeen and that it would be difficult.
Mo has not participated in a game with red balls for a considerable amount of time. “There’s no question in my mind that he’ll be ready; he’s had a couple of weeks’ notice,” McDonald said.
In contrast, “but I think Jack Leach really complemented that attack and his wicket-taking ability,” and “the way Ben Stokes has used him has been a little more aggressive and has reaped some great rewards.”