Green at No.5 and Head to No.6? Gilchrist floats surprise batting order switch

Adam Gilchrist has floated the prospect of Australia squeezing Cameron Green in at No.5 and moving Travis Head to No.6 for the Ashes amid concerns about the all-rounder’s ability to flourish at first drop.

The former Australian wicketkeeper’s comments came as Marnus Labuschagne declared he was happy to bat anywhere against England - if selected - but noted he has spent almost his entire Test career at No.3.

Just over a month out from the first Ashes Test, speculation about Australia’s batting order remains rife, particularly who will partner Usman Khawaja at the top and who fills the No.3 slot.

Former Test great Mark Waugh believes Labuschagne is a “certainty” for the series opener in Perth after peeling off four hundreds in five innings for Queensland across all formats.

Labuschagne, a late call-up to Australia’s ODI squad for Sunday’s rain-affected clash with India, said on Fox Cricket’s coverage he wasn’t bothered about his batting position but potentially gave a subtle clue.

“Wherever the selectors and the coach put me, that’s where I will be batting,” he said. “I’ve batted my whole career for Australia at No.3, so yeah, there’s nothing more to be said.”

If Labuschagne opens, Green looms as the likely No.3 after batting there on the recent West Indies tour. Selectors have also discussed the prospect of Steve Smith shifting from No.4 to first drop.

Former captain Ricky Ponting said last month that Australia should consider moving Head, the side’s vice-captain, to No.3 to attack England early.

Gilchrist is reluctant to move Head up the order but isn’t convinced Green suits No.3 either. The Fox commentator said Green moving to No.5 might have merit given Head’s track record as a destructive middle-order player.

“It has been working really nicely with Head at five,” Gilchrist told this masthead. “It adds a certain amount of versatility to an approach to batting. I think that allows Travis to play uninhibited, whereas maybe going to three might stack a bit more responsibility, in theory, on his shoulders.

“I think Travis in that middle order somewhere is probably about right.

“I couldn’t see a huge difference between Travis batting at five or six - that’s pushing him down the order. But if that gets Green at five, Travis at six and Kez [Alex Carey] at seven [that is an option to consider].”

If Green doesn’t bowl, No.3 is being viewed as his most likely position, though Gilchrist - a fellow West Australian - doesn’t believe that is ideal. Green averages 23.5 from eight innings there in Tests.

He scored 184 runs at 30.66 in three Tests in that position against the West Indies.

“I’m not completely convinced that he [Green] can offer his absolute best, for the complete package he is, to the Australian team by batting at three,” Gilchrist said.

“If he’s got overs to bowl, that may complicate his position at three. When fully fit and trying to offer your best package, it would be challenging for a batting all-rounder to be at three.

“I personally see Smith as Australia’s No.4.”

Former Australian coach Justin Langer said Green’s latest setback was a concern despite head selector George Bailey playing it down.

“News of Cam Green’s injury omission from this upcoming white-ball series against India will send a shiver of concern up the selectors’ spines,” Langer wrote in his weekend column for The West Australian.

Labuschagne said he feels mentally sharper after a lean stretch.

“It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs,” Labuschagne said on Fox. “It was probably more mental. There are a few technical things I’ve ironed out. It was more [about] getting too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of playing with what I’ve got.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to get out of your own mind and just get back out there and score runs. Coming into this summer, runs were always going to be the currency.

“It’s probably a nice reminder after struggling for a couple of years that you’ve still got it. It doesn’t matter how many runs you’ve scored, when you don’t score runs for a while, those doubts creep in.”