Five decisions Australia must make ahead of WTC Final

By Jonathan Healy

Reigning ICC World Test Championship winners Australia named a full strength squad for this year's final and will head into the one-off decider as the favourites for back-to-back titles.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster. Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett

Just how they shape their XI for the Lord's contest remains to be seen, with the Aussies blessed with a wealth of riches in all departments and no apparent weakness in any area.

Much will depend on the conditions in London when they decide on the make-up of their side, but Australian selectors do have a few questions to answer prior to the first ball that will be bowled on June 11.

We take a look at five key questions facing Australia.

1. Who partners Usman Khawaja at the top?

While Travis Head opened the batting with Khawaja during Australia's most recent Test series in Sri Lanka, the attacking left-hander looks set to return to his preferred position at No.5 against the Proteas.

Teenager Sam Konstas showed some excellent signs during the memorable series victory over India that helped clinch Australia's place in the World Test Championship Final, but it may be too much to ask the 19-year-old to open the batting at Test level on his first trip to England.

There has been talk of former No.1 ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne moving up from his preferred spot at No.3 and filling in as opener at Lord's and this may provide the Aussies with more stability at the top and allow them to add in a few more weapons in their middle-order.

2. What to do with Cameron Green?

There's no doubt a fully fit Cameron Green is a walk-up start to Australia's XI at Test level and the talented 25-year-old looked in good touch with the bat recently when he scored a century in his first match in England with County side Gloucester.

But Green will not be able to bowl at Lord's as he continues to fully recover from recent back surgery, so would only feature in the side as a specialist batter - and a very handy slip or gully fielder.

Green has batted at every position between No.4 and No.7 throughout his first 28 Tests and his versatility means he could even slide in at No.3 if selectors do decide to go with Labuschagne at the top of the order.

3. Does Beau Webster stay or go?

If Green does play then it might be at the expense of all-rounder Beau Webster, who has done very little wrong in his start to Test cricket.

Webster managed a half-century on debut against India at the SCG and a further two Tests against Sri Lanka away from home showed he is up to the class and good enough to be a long-term option in Australia's side.

The 31-year-old also has seven catches from those three Test appearances so the Aussies would not be losing anything in the field should they select the all-rounder ahead of Green.

4. Hazlewood v Boland a lineball call

Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland are both proven world-class performers, but the likelihood is there is probably only room for one of the pacers in Australia's XI at Lord's.

Boland did an excellent job when ironically filling in for the injured Hazlewood in the 2023 World Test Championship Final against India, with the consistent right-armer dismissing Shubman Gill in both innings and then snagging the important wicket of potential match-winner Virat Kohli on an exciting final day in south London.

Hazlewood's durability may be of some concerns to selectors, but the right-armer has collected 13 wickets from three Tests at Lord's in the past and is arguably still slightly ahead of Boland in the pecking order for Australian fast bowlers.

5. Could an all-out pace attack be the answer?

India legend Ravi Shastri recently suggested on The ICC Review that Australia might be rewarded if they took a risk and left out Nathan Lyon from their XI and went into the one-off Test with a four-pronged pace attack.

Nathan Lyon averages a decent 29.61 in England which is on par with his overall Test average of 30.19, but as you delve a bit further into the stats it shows he falls away somewhat when you look at his record at Lord's.

Lyon has just seven wickets at an average north of 40 from three Tests at the Home of Cricket, which may offer food for thought for selectors as they try and find the best way to defend the mace they won at The Oval in 2023.