The somewhat uninspiring show by Australia against the England Lions may have provided clues regarding the No.3 batting position for the fifth Test, albeit without much certainty.
Phil Hughes batted at the third spot, while the current player Usman Khawaja was moved down to No.6, which suggestively indicates a possible batting shuffle for Wednesday’s concluding Ashes match at The Oval.
Hughes managed to score 30 runs off 92 balls in a rather disappointing innings, epitomizing the overall day for the Australians in a lackluster two-day match at Northampton that ultimately ended in a draw.
Despite the consistent fall of wickets, Khawaja had a chance to gain some time at the crease but ended up getting caught behind for a score of four.
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After the fourth Test debacle at Chester-le-Street, coach Darren Lehmann indicated that players’ careers were at risk, and Khawaja seems to be under scrutiny with an average of 19 from his three outings.
Lehmann and Rod Marsh determined the batting order for the two-day encounter, while acting captain Shane Watson stated he lacked any insider information about whether Hughes’ position at No.3 suggested plans for The Oval.
“I’m not the right person to ask that. I’m just a stand-in captain. I genuinely don’t know,” Watson remarked lightheartedly.
“I realize that interpreting events might land me in trouble.”
None of the Australian batsmen managed to score a half-century, and a series of wickets saw them struggling at 6-160, edging closer to an embarrassing defeat.
Their plight was somewhat alleviated when Matthew Wade (38 not out) and James Faulkner (29 not out) produced an unbroken 67-run partnership, bringing the tourists to within 43 runs of victory before play was halted due to bad light.
Watson emerged as the top scorer with 45, acknowledging that Australia’s faltering batsmen had missed the opportunity to regain some confidence against a weaker English side.
“We probably didn’t derive much benefit from this game in terms of batting,” Watson reflected.
“It’s undeniable the wicket posed challenges with the new ball. It certainly wasn’t a typical Test match surface.”
“It’s difficult to determine exactly where the players stand,” he added.
David Warner seemed solid with a score of 35 until he was stumped following a miss on a lofty drive.
Both Warner and Watson displayed fluency during their innings, while Khawaja and Steve Smith (18) had unimpressive performances, and Ed Cowan (17) failed to capitalize on his opportunity to strengthen his cause for re-selection.
Wade almost got out caught for three, but seized his chance, battling commendably alongside Faulkner under pressure.
Nevertheless, both players remain highly unlikely to feature at The Oval.
Watson dismissed the notion that batting confidence had further diminished due to the tour match.
“Honestly, I don’t think so. Ultimately, most players managed to settle into their innings, which is typically the most difficult aspect of batting,” he explained.
“I don’t think we should overanalyze what transpired out there.”
