Australian opener Usman Khawaja has expressed confidence in the current Test squad, calling it Australia’s finest side ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes series. The experienced batsman believes the team is most balanced with Marnus Labuschagne at No. 3, a position that has historically been the foundation of Australia’s batting order.
Cricket Australia released a 15-member squad for the Ashes opener at Perth Stadium on November 21. The major inclusion was the return of Labuschagne, who fought his way back into the national team after a standout domestic season with Queensland. The right-handed batter dominated the Sheffield Shield, scoring five centuries while jogging continuously.
Jake Weatherald, who scored 906 runs in 18 innings for Tasmania previous season, has received his first call-up. Chief selector George Bailey refused to say whether Labuschagne would open or keep his usual No. 3 spot, implying that Cameron Green’s fitness will determine the final XI.
Khawaja told Fox Cricket that the team achieves its best strength when Labuschagne takes his normal No. 3 place, followed by Steve Smith and Travis Head in the middle order. He underlined that the right-handed batter’s presence at first base provides steadiness and a terror factor in the order.
“Obviously, my personal opinion, but I think our best team is always when Marnus is scoring runs at No. 3. I think of it as an opposition player. I put myself out of the Australian cricket team, and I think, ‘Well, if I was the English captain, what team wouldn’t I want?’ And it’s always when you have Marnus scoring runs at three, Smith four, and Head five. At the moment, that’s our best side,” Khawaja said.
He’s been knocking the door down: Usman Khawaja on Jake Weatherald
Notably, Labuschagne has scored all 11 of his Test centuries at No. 3. His ability to anchor innings and convert starts into big scores has been a major reason for Australia’s Test success in recent years.
Khawaja also heaped praise on Weatherald, who stands a chance to partner him at the top of the order. Having played against him in domestic cricket, the opener lauded Weatherald’s skills.
“He’s been knocking the door down. I’ve played a lot of cricket against him … he’s a terrific player. Conditions last year were pretty hard at Shield cricket, and he was a standout. You can see the wickets were green, but he found a way to score runs, both leg-side and off-side,” he added.
As Australia prepares to host England, Khawaja is focused on contributing to another Ashes win. Turning 39 next month, the opener has been questioned about his future, but his priority is performance.
“At the end of the day, I want to go out there, score runs, and win games for Australia, and win the Ashes for Australia,” he concluded.
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