Australia faces choice questions forward of fourth Ashes Take a look at for David Warner, Cameron Inexperienced and Mitch Marsh

For the primary time this Ashes sequence, Australia finds itself having to regroup following a slim defeat.

The vacationers are nonetheless within the field seat, main the sequence 2-1, with a draw at Outdated Trafford sufficient to retain the Ashes as soon as extra.

And, given the slim nature of the three-wicket defeat in Leeds, there may be positively no motive to panic.

However England abruptly has its tail up and, given the fearless strategy they’ve employed within the Bazball period, the hosts may simply really feel like they’ve momentum.

And Australia, for what looks like the primary time in a very long time, has real inquiries to reply in regards to the make-up of its aspect.

There is likely to be no motive to panic, however listed here are the questions that Australia has to reply forward of the fourth Take a look at.

David Warner: The case towards

Arguably Australia’s largest query is what to do with the veteran opener.

With simply 141 runs throughout six innings to this point at a median of 23.50, Warner has not been firing.

His 66 runs within the first innings at Lord’s was extremely promising, however since then he has fallen in a predictable heap when confronted with the bowling of his arch nemesis, Stuart Broad — who dismissed him for the sixteenth and seventeenth instances in Checks.

The stats by no means lie, and their damning statements are beginning to rack up towards Warner.

That 66 at Lord’s was Warner’s solely half century in his 12 innings in 2023.

That was simply his third abroad half century since he returned from his ban, a interval of 18 innings.

He has not scored a century away from Australia since belting 123 towards Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2017.

Of the three Australians to have opened in Checks this calendar 12 months, Warner has scored the fewest runs, 221 to Travis Head’s 223.

Head’s runs got here in simply 5 innings and at a median of 55.75.

In fact, opening in England is difficult, so if you do not assume that is a good instance, Usman Khawaja has performed 16 innings for the reason that flip of the 12 months, scoring a whopping 897 runs at 59.80.

This Ashes, Khawaja is the main run-scorer of all, with 356 at 59.33.

England’s two openers, Zak Crawley (196 runs at 32.66) and Ben Duckett (237 runs at 39.50) have additionally out carried out him. 

David Warner: The case for

Positive, Warner’s batting has not been stellar, however except for Khawaja, has anybody really excelled?

Marnus Labuschagne has solely scored three extra runs than Warner this sequence.

The Australian quantity three has not scored an abroad century in his previous 16 innings, and has only one half ton in that point in addition.

In reality, in 16 Checks away from Australia, Labuschagne has solely scored one Take a look at ton and two fifties, his common dropping from a Steve Smith-like 53.80 over the course of his complete Take a look at profession to 39.25 in abroad Checks.

And what of Australia’s doable choices?

Having Head open isn’t essentially an excellent concept. Doing so would danger shedding the runs he has been offering down the order — Head is Australia’s second-highest run scorer with 266 at a median of 44.33.

As England discovered by shifting Harry Brook up the order after which again down once more in Leeds, such techniques can backfire.

Though, as Ed Cowan mentioned on the ABC Cricket podcast in the course of the week, there may be one other, way more constructive aspect impact of selling Head up the order.