Five openers in 12 Tests? Australia's revolving door could continue

Since David Warner's retirement in January 2024, Australia have used four different openers other than Usman Khawaja, who has been the only constant in 11 Tests in this while. Ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final from June 11 against South Africa at Lord's, there is a possibility that there could be a fifth different opener in 12 Tests during this period.

Sam Konstas has a chance of resuming his Test career after the two outings against India, but the selectors might again get creative. Marnus Labuschagne is in the frame, despite an average of 28.33 in this WTC cycle, while Josh Inglis, who made a century on debut in Sri Lanka, has not been discounted either, with national selector George Bailey suggesting the opening position does not need to be a specialist role.

"I think [Josh] could do it, but I've said the same about Marnus," Bailey said after confirmation of Australia's 15-player squad for the final, and the subsequent three-Test tour of the West Indies. "I do think it's a role that more people could do. I know there is a prevailing thought it is a specialised role.

"In certain conditions, there's opportunities at different times that guys could do it - whether that's England for Josh, or whether it's in that middle order, where he's had success already."

Labuschagne has opened 15 times in first-class cricket, but only once since 2016 - although he did score a century on that occasion for Glamorgan against Middlesex, last May. Inglis, meanwhile, has never done it in first-class cricket.

Australia have looked beyond frontline red-ball openers since Warner's retirement - and with mixed results. Steven Smith had first dibs on the role, largely to allow Cameron Green to return at No. 4. Smith lasted as an opener across only four Tests against West Indies and New Zealand, although his stint did include a superb 91 not out at the Gabba. Nathan McSweeney then made his debut against India in Perth, having opened for the first time a couple of weeks earlier for Australia A, and like many, found life tough against Jasprit Bumrah.

Then, in Sri Lanka earlier this year, Travis Head reverted to the job in what had intially been a long-term plan after the impact he made in India in 2023, which meant Konstas, a specialist opener in his brief domestic career, made way after just two matches. There is a view that Konstas will play in the West Indies even if he doesn't feature in the WTC final. But if someone else gets the opportunity against South Africa and is successful, then that would leave the selectors with further tricky decisions.

"We have been very strong on trying to delineate between the World Test Championship final, and separate the West Indies tour, which will be slightly different," Bailey said.

Konstas made headlines with his aggressive approach against Bumrah at the MCG last Boxing Day, in an innings highlighted by scoops and ramps which helped gain Australia the ascendancy. In the following match, at the SCG, he was caught in a heated exchange with the Indians late on the opening day. Later in the match, he made a swift 22 off 17 balls in Australia's chase.

On his return to domestic cricket, Konstas first scored a half-century for Sydney Thunder in the BBL, and then an excellent One-Day Cup hundred for New South Wales (NSW), before leaving the Sri Lanka tour early. Back home, he fell in extraordinary fashion for NSW against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, when he missed an attempted sweep at Scott Boland in the third over of the match.

Konstas managed to recalibrate himself for the final two Shield games of the season, and finished with a brace of half-centuries, which encouraged those around him that he was beginning to settle after a frenzied period.

"I think Andrew [McDonald, the head coach] has spoken to this, and [NSW coach] Greg Shipperd spoke about it at the end of the year - it's pretty clear that he's not the finished product," Bailey said of Konstas. "He's on a journey, [and] he's a highly talented player.

"The things we like [are] he's a quick learner, he's really keen to learn, [and he] has an amazing ability to adapt and change the way he plays. Any opportunity that he does get around the squad - whether that's in the XI or around the squad - I think he's going to continue to improve."

It may not be too long before Australia are searching for another new opener, with Khawaja now 38, and with an uncertainty over whether he will continue after the home Ashes next summer.

"Clearly, this is a team that will be, as all teams are, in transition over the next period of time," Bailey said. "But whether that's in the next six months, 12 months [or] 18 months, you are constantly trying to build out depth. If there are no players retiring or moving on just for the very fact that we play so much cricket there's injuries, and you want to make sure there's always someone ready to step in - and not just fill a spot, but be ready to perform."