Travis Head developments leaves Aussies with brutal Steve Smith dilemma
The Aussies will have to drop someone upon Travis Head's return.
Travis Head is on the verge of returning to the Australian One Day International line-up and his return from injury leaves either Steve Smith or Marnus Labuschagne in danger of being dropped. Head is keen to show his form at this year's cricket World Cup with the squad carrying the opener to India, despite his hand injury ahead of the tournament.
His return may not come against the Netherlands this Wednesday, but may well come against New Zealand in Dharamsala on Saturday. The blockbuster showdown will most likely see Head return to the top of the order, where he has averaged 50.60 across 25 innings as opener for Australia.
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And selector George Bailey admitted Head would bat no where else but as opener in the World Cup. "Clearly, (he) comes in at the top," chair of selectors Bailey told reporters.
His return to the starting XI will see someone dropped. David Warner appears set to retain his spot at the top of the order, due to Mitchell Marsh's ability to bat at No.3. This leaves Smith or Labuschagne in danger of dropping out of the team.
Marcus Stoinis chipping in with 21 runs and two wickets in Australia's previous win against Pakistan means selectors might continue with the heavy allrounder starting XI. "Stoin bought a really great energy with his bowling and couple of really key breakthroughs to get everyone up and going, and a nice catch as well," Bailey said after the game.
Marsh would presumably step in at three, having scored 351 runs at a strike rate of 108.3 in seven innings since he took over as opener. Meanwhile, both Smith and Labuschagne have failed to perform at this year's World Cup.
Smith has only passed 30 once in his four innings so far at this World Cup. Labuschagne has been better than Smith with an average of 30.25, but his strike rate is only 64.70.
And with Smith a mainstay in the One Day International set-up across the years, selectors could opt to drop Labuschagne from the XI to reinstate Head.
Travis Head keen to return at World Cup
The 29-year-old left-hander says he feels gratitude to selectors for being given the chance to return to the squad, especially having missed out on the 2019 tournament. "It's not something that I expected at the time," Head said of the selectors' faith.
"Obviously there was a range of emotions through those three or four days after the injury to think that I missed a chance again to be involved in a World Cup.
"Now it's a case of day-by-day getting better and hopefully I can contribute at the end and, I guess, pay a bit of the faith back."
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