New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has backed in-form Cameron Green for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord’s.

The 25-year-old will not be available to bowl in the WTC final but is almost certain to return to the Australian XI as a specialist batter. His inclusion is expected to shake up the batting order, with the selectors considering multiple options. Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Konstas, Beau Webster and Josh Inglis all remain in contention, depending on how the final XI is structured.

Green last played Test cricket in March 2024, batting at No. 4 during Australia’s two-match series against New Zealand, where he scored a career-best 174 not out in Wellington. Recently, he has been in excellent form at No. 5 for Gloucestershire, notching up three centuries and an unbeaten 67 in eight innings — his first games after undergoing back surgery in October.

“He could be three, he could be five, he could be six, he could open. I think he’s got the temperament. He’s got the skill set. He’s got the defensive play as well. I think the higher up the order you go, your defensive skills are a priority. He’s got all bases covered,” McDonald said on SEN Radio.

Green’s return and his batting position are expected to create a ripple effect throughout the Australian batting line-up. Travis Head is set to move back to his usual spot at No. 5 after temporarily opening during the series in Sri Lanka. This shift means Usman Khawaja will once again need a new opening partner, having already rotated through Steve Smith, Head, Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney in Australia’s last three Test series.

While Webster impressed as an allrounder at No. 6 in his debut against India in Sydney and performed solidly in Sri Lanka, McDonald has clarified that his place in the XI for the WTC final at Lord’s is not guaranteed. The selectors are still weighing whether an additional fifth bowler is necessary for the one-off final.

“There’s an XI on a board, but it’s got some dashes with multiple names in different positions. Do we need to play the allrounder depending on the conditions that present? That’ll then shuffle the batting order. We’re quite flexible in our approach to that,” McDonald said.

“We’ve got roughly what we think it might look like. And then clearly, there’ll be some decisions as we get to the pointy end. And we’ve said before that we only make decisions when we need to,” he added.

–IANS

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