David Warner Signals More Trouble for England with Travis Head Batting in the Middle Order

David Warner believes that Usman Khawaja will return as an opener for the upcoming Adelaide test. He applauded Travis Head’s performance in the last two matches, however, Head’s chances of replacing a fit Khawaja seem slim to Warner. The former Australian batter believes that Head batting at no.5 could pose more trouble for England, as he is more explosive in that position.

Many former cricketers in Australia believe the team should not change its batting order, as Head is currently performing well at the top. This makes the return of Usman Khawaja to the playing XI uncertain, as there is very little room left for him in the batting lineup.

However, David Warner’s point of view is completely different. He believes that Head batting in the middle order could offer more advantage to Australia, as he is a proven performer in that position.

"I think Uzzy comes back in, slides to the top, and Trav goes down. That's probably a worse result for England, Travis Head going back down the order." said David Warner while talking to the reporters.

He said Travis Head got the opportunity to open the innings when Usman Khawaja was injured. Now, if the latter comes back with full fitness, Head will likely move back to his original batting position. He added that Head performed well in the absence of Khawaja, however, making him a full-time opener does not look like a wise decision.  

"At the end of the day, Travis put his hand up to bat in the situation he was in. He came out and batted in the way Travis Head does. You see plenty of interviews from Trav saying that is Uzzy's spot, and if when the time comes they ask him to go up the order, he wouldn't mind to do that.” said former Australian captain, David Warner.

He then said that Australia didn’t have a batter like Travis Head in the middle order previously. Now, they have the advantage of attacking the opposition in the middle overs using Head’s explosive batting. This makes him a valuable asset that Australia will want to utilize as long as possible.

"We didn't have that aggressor down in the middle order [in previous years]. Australia has that now as well, and moving forward with whatever Uzzy decides to do, if he hangs them up, they can look that way.” said David Warner.

The former batter then sounded a note of caution, saying that using Head as an opener could also backfire for Australia. If that happens, Travis Head will need to return to his original position, leaving the team with a lot of questions.

"But then it's on all of us to understand that potentially might not work and Travis will have to go back down the order. And then they are going to have to look for another replacement. The selectors have a headache." said David Warner.

Need to Show Confidence on Jake Weatherald

Speaking about Jake Weatherald, he said the Australian team should show faith in him as he has performed well in domestic cricket. He acknowledged that competition is high in the team, but the selectors should give priority to the experienced players.

"We've got a lot of young [opening] talent there at the moment that's coming through. But what I will say to George Bailey and the selectors is to show faith in their 31-year-old, Jake Weatherald. I think experience is key as well.” said David Warner.

Moving forward, Warner said that the Australian team could give Matt Renshaw another opportunity to open the innings. He said Renshaw has performed well in test cricket, so his chances are looking bright for the future.

"So credit to them if they've picked him. But moving forward, Renshaw could be one. I think he'll slide straight back in there. He's had a taste of Test cricket." said David Warner.

The former Australian batter then talked about Usman Khawaja, saying that he is nearing the end of his test career. He added that Khawaja needs to score runs in the upcoming matches, as the team requires strong performances from him.

"At the end of the day, having been in that situation, you still have to score runs. You will deserve [the dream farewell] if you score runs and then the selectors stick by you. It's not by chance he's in this position now. He is 38 years of age, he knows what's required." concluded David Warner.