“If he wants to open, he’ll probably get that – he’s earned that right … But if we’re going to push Travis Head back down to five, then you need a specialist opener.
“The main concern for me with this team is trying not to lose two or three big fish at the one time.”
Unfortunately for Weatherald, his run of lbw and full-ball dismissals likely has another specialist opener spot opening up. For the fourth time in nine innings, England trapped him in front.
Each of those dismissals, along with his Boxing Day leg glance to a waiting Jamie Smith, has featured the telltale fall to the off side and happy exploitation of that by English seamers.
While Head rattled along unperturbed against the new ball on Monday, Weatherald could have departed on nine when he flashed an edge high and wide of Joe Root at slip.
He then should have been out when he pulled one straight to Ben Duckett on 14. Duckett’s poor series with the bat has been matched by his hands in the field.
Where Weatherald’s technical flaws have continued, Marnus Labuschagne showed the scoring intent he has lacked of late. His willingness to get onto the front foot throughout his innings of 48 from 68 balls was more akin to his strike rate of 62 during his last golden year of 2022 (957 runs at an average of 56).
During the increasingly stodgy two years leading to his axing last winter, Labuschagne’s scoring rate slumped to 45 runs per 100 balls.
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The warning lights flashing in Adelaide and Melbourne – a combined strike rate of 37.7 – were heeded leading into Sydney, again with Potts especially obliging under darkening skies.
One selection query seemingly answered in Weatherald; another potentially rebuffed by Labuschagne.
Until, of course, he clashed with Ben Stokes late in the day, then edged him straight to Jacob Bethell. Like his 65 in Brisbane that should have been a century, Labuschagne will rue the missed chance to enjoy the best of day three’s batting.
Instead, at some point on Tuesday, Cameron Green will take his place beneath the microscope.
He’ll do so after churning through 18 overs – the equal-most he’s bowled in his career – in England’s first innings.
Such is life when it’s not going quite your way, his no-ball that reversed Smith’s dismissal might have made for far less work had Green only managed to keep his foot behind the line.
Luckily for Australia, they have one of the world’s most audacious and unconventional batsmen to build around.
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