Travis Head or Usman Khawaja? David Warner warns Australia of selection dilemma ahead of 3rd Ashes Test
Published - 12 Dec 2025, 07:31 PM
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Australian selectors and team management are currently facing the biggest selection conundrum as the hosts aim to seal the Ashes 2025-26 against England at the Adelaide Oval. After winning the first two tests, the Australian side took a 2-0 lead in the ongoing five-match test series against England.
As both teams gear up for the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval from December 17, the former explosive opener David Warner backed his former teammate and one of his close friends, Usman Khawaja, to return to his opening position for the next game against England.
Australia faces biggest Ashes selection dilemma ahead of Adelaide Test
If Khawaja is declared fit for the Adelaide Test, as he is currently recovering from his back spasms, the Australian selectors will find themselves in the tricky position. Australia has a real chance to secure the Ashes 2025-26 at home, and the call they make for the third Test will play a huge role.
During the first test in Perth, Travis Head and Jake Weatherald opened the innings in Khawaja’s absence because he was dealing with back spasms. That temporary opening pair did an excellent job and gave the hosts a strong start, which now makes the decision even tougher.
Even though Head opened in Perth, Warner said that the left-handed batter’s real strength has always been at number five. Head averages 41.46 in that position and has scored eight out of his ten Test centuries at this position.
David Warner backs Usman Khawaja to open in 3rd Ashes Test
Interestingly, three of those hundreds have come at Adelaide Oval, where the third Ashes Test will be played, making the decision even more important.
Warner feels that bringing Khawaja back to the top and moving Head down again would actually make things more difficult for England.
David Warner was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo: “I think Uzzy comes back in, slides to the top, and Trav goes down. That's probably a worse result for England, with Travis Head going back down the order. At the end of the day, Travis put his hand up to bat in the situation he was in.”
David Warner says moving Travis Head to open could hurt Australia
Travis Head’s aggressive batting in the middle order has been a big advantage for Australia, especially because for many years they didn’t have a powerful and fearless stroke player in that spot. Now they finally do, so Warner is against the idea to open with Head.
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However, the former opener noted that Head could be a future opener once Khawaja retires, but opening in Tests demands a completely different mindset, and the team would still need a backup plan if the experiment doesn’t work.
He further explained that if Head moves up the order permanently in the future, then Australia will also need to find another strong option for the middle order.
The selectors have a headache: David Warner
Warner explained, “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.”
The Aussie icon signed off by saying, “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.”
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Usman Khawaja David Warner Travis Head Australia National Cricket Team Australia vs England Ashes England National Cricket TeamAbout the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ...
