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Konstas’ may have saved Khawaja’s Ashes spot
SEN • August 8th, 2025 11:30 am
Have Sam Konstas’ struggles in the West Indies helped solidify Usman Khawaja’s place at the top of the order?
While it may sound crazy given Khawaja scored 47, 15, 16, 2, 23 and 14 at an average of 19.5 this series, that record easily outperforms Konstas’ returns of 50 runs at an average of 8.33 across the three Tests.
Working on the theory that Australia won’t want to bring in two new openers for the upcoming Ashes series, SEN Cricket’s Bharat Sundaresan thinks that Khawaja’s spot is fairly secure and he expects selectors to instead look at changing his partner given Konstas’ returns.
He discussed Konstas’ woes and how that may affect Khawaja with Adam White on SEN’s The New Ball.
Sundaresan: “Things haven’t worked out for Sam Konstas, and if anything for me, it firms up Usman for the Ashes even more as the first opener.
“I'd be very surprised if the Australian selectors just go, ‘No, we need two fresh openers’, especially after the number of times their fingers have been burned in the last six or seven months with this opening combination.”
White: “I can't argue that, but the counterargument to that is if you take out that big score in Sri Lanka in conditions totally different to what you're going to get in an Ashes series, it's hard to build a case for Uzzie other than the experience and trust.”
Sundaresan: “It could just be the trust in someone that has opened in the last three or four years and has obviously had success for the first two and a half years of opening. The runs haven't come in the last 30 innings or so, and if you leave out the Sri Lanka double hundred, the average is in the 20s. So, that hasn't helped.
“Now Cam Green has come in and with the top three we end the series where we started, but with a slight question over Usman Khawaja, which probably wasn’t there.
“I think maybe all cards are on the table … but will he go into the home summer as the incumbent? At the moment it feels like he will.
“It could have been a different story if Konstas had made runs and Khawaja was the only one struggling.
“But if anything, Khawaja has seen off the new ball in two out of three first innings. So, I think that might count in his favour and I think they'll stick with him.”
White: “Ironically, Sam Konstas, his failures might have saved Uzzie.”
Khawaja will turn 39 during this summer’s Ashes campaign, a series that many believe could be the last of his Test career.
As for Konstas, the teen was named in the Australia A squad on Thursday in a sure fire signal that he is in desperate need of experience.
“While we’d be thrilled to see that (Konstas make three tons) — and it’s a really important tour for us and we’re really interested in the performances of players there — there will be some separation and I do think performing across the start of the summer is going to be important,” George Bailey said.
