Flexible batting orders to stay but Khawaja's future unclear

Australian selectors are unclear whether the Sydney Test will be Usman Khawaja's last with coach Andrew McDonald saying no discussions have been had regarding the veteran's playing future.

The SCG Ashes Test looms as a potential swansong for the 39-year-old batter, exactly 15 years after he made his debut at the same venue against the same opponents.

Khawaja began the Ashes series as one of Australia's openers, a role he had held since returning to the side in the early stages of 2022.

But severe back spasms while fielding in the Perth Test prohibited him from opening the batting and saw him miss the following Brisbane Test.

Since returning to the team in the middle order, Khawaja has only been out-scored by Travis Head and Alex Carey, and has shown no signs of calling time on his career ahead of the fifth Test which begins on January 4.

"We're always having conversations about where players are at and speaking directly with players, there's no indication at my end that he's calling it in Sydney," McDonald told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.

"His performance in this calendar year has been good enough to warrant selection so I'd say he'll be there marking centre in Sydney."

Australia's next Test assignment following the Ashes isn't until August, when they will host Bangladesh for two matches in the country's north.

That begins a hectic run of matches where Australia will play 13 Tests between October and March, including tours to South Africa and India.

McDonald said should Khawaja have ambitions of extending his career into that busy period, selectors would be responsive to his wishes but would be making an independent decision.

"I think Uz will come to us if he's going to retire, there's no doubt about that," McDonald said.

"And then after this Test match, we've got eight months until the next one, so we've got a lot of time as a selection group to make that decision.

"If there was a series straight off the back of this, then it would be a little bit different. "But with the eight-month gap, as a selection panel, we've got a lot of time to think about our next Test team should Uz push forward."

Despite a 3-1 scoreline to the good, Australia will feel their top order has underperformed across the series.

Injuries to Khawaja and Steve Smith have forced changes but there have been other positional changes for the likes of Cameron Green, Alex Carey and Josh Inglis.

But McDonald isn't using the shifting lineup as an excuse, instead leaning into the notion shared by Pat Cummins and Travis Head that batting orders are overrated.

He said that Green's shuffle from No.3 in the West Indies to No.5 at the start of the Ashes to No.7 in Melbourne was purely situational.

"Cameron Green at three in the West Indies did a really good job," McDonald said.

"We've been on the record that batting orders aren't a strong belief of ours. It doesn't have to be fixed.

"You've got some key pillars and stability players, Steve Smith at four, and you've got your openers … He fits around others at the moment. He hasn't nailed down a spot."

Marnus Labuschagne was one of the few players who featured at the team's optional training session on Monday, batting for over an hour against Todd Murphy, Brendan Doggett and throwdowns from the assistant coaches.

The Aussie No.3 has batted eight times this series, scoring two half-centuries mixed with six scores under 20. He scored only 46 runs across the past two Tests. 

McDonald believes there's a direct correlation between Labuschagne's scores and his scoring intent, which the numbers back up.

Labuschagne's strike rate for all six low scores was 50 or below. For his two half-centuries, it was 83 or higher.

"When he loses his intent to score, he gets himself in bad positions," McDonald said of Labuschagne.

"There's periods of time where he goes back into his shell and really trusts his defence, and I think within that creates a little bit of error in his game.

"It's a difficult game, and batting on some of these surfaces is tricky, but it's really about that mindset of going out there and scoring runs."

Murphy, brought into the squad following Nathan Lyon's series-ending hamstring injury, bowled and batted in perfect Melbourne conditions on what should have been the Test's fourth day.

The off-spinner will once again come into the frame for selection in Sydney after he was overlooked for the "furry" MCG surface.

McDonald explained it was the team's preference to play a spinner and stressed Australia wouldn't experiment with their XI despite the series being wrapped up and would be looking to bank another 12 World Test Championship points before a long layoff in the format.

Murphy, who has seven Tests to his name, last played on the tour to Sri Lanka at the start of the year.

"I'd love to pick Todd. I'd love to see what he's got to offer," McDonald said.

"He had some issues with his shoulder and we think he's back to his best.

"What we've seen when he's come closer to the camp has been excellent.

"It takes a lot for us to not pick a spinner."

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs

Fourth Test: England won by four wickets

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (fourth Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue