Australian opener Usman Khawaja has expressed confidence in the current Test setup, calling it Australia’s best team ahead of the Ashes 2025-26 series. The veteran batter believes the team looks most balanced with Marnus Labuschagne batting at No. 3, a position that has long been the backbone of Australia’s batting order.
On Wednesday, Cricket Australia announced a 15-member squad for the Ashes opener at Perth Stadium, beginning November 21. The headline inclusion was the return of Labuschagne, who
forced his way back into the national setup after a stunning domestic season for Queensland. The right-handed batter dominated the Sheffield Shield, scoring five centuries and running consistently.
The squad also features a maiden call-up for Jake Weatherald, whose run-scoring for Tasmania (906 runs in 18 innings last season) earned him an opportunity. Chief selector George Bailey remained non-committal on whether Labuschagne would open or retain his preferred No. 3 slot, hinting the final XI would depend on Cameron Green’s fitness.
Khawaja, speaking to Fox Cricket, stated that the team reaches its peak strength when Labuschagne occupies his usual No. 3 spot, followed by Steve Smith and Travis Head in the middle order. He emphasized that the right-hand batter’s presence at first drop brings stability and a fear factor to the lineup.
“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: Khawaja on 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.
