Simon Katich tips Usman Khawaja to open in Pakistan Tests

Khawaja has mostly turned out at No.3 in his 33 Tests for Australia so far, but with Australia desperately missing the experience of David Warner and Steve Smith – the two are serving 12-month bans – Katich believes he will be more useful opening the innings.

“I think they need some seniority at the top of the order and given he (Khawaja) has batted at No.3, it might actually suit him to get out there and get into it straight away," Katich said on SEN's Whateley programme. “He is an opener from way back when he first started playing club cricket.”

Khawaja has had some success the few times he has opened for Australia. In Adelaide against South Africa in November 2016, he scored 145 after walking out to open, and similarly, he scored 79* against Pakistan in January 2017 in Sydney.

If he does open, Khawaja is likely to be partnered by Matt Renshaw. The 22-year-old has been in fine form, totalling 523 runs in six first-class outings for Somerset in the County Championship.

He also fared well in the Sheffield Shield before that, scoring three centuries as Queensland romped to the title, but he couldn’t quite display that form in the Johannesburg Test in March-April.

Khawaja and Renshaw are both part of the Australia A squad currently in India for the quadrangular series, and will take on India A in two four-day games in September.

Katich backed Renshaw to impress. "The one positive for me recently is that Matt Renshaw made a lot of county runs in England, which is a great sign for a young player,” he said. “He'll definitely get a look-in at the start of the Australian summer if he can back it up with some Shield runs and potentially some runs on this A tour (in India).

“He's done a fair bit since he's been dropped so in terms of runs on the board you can't fault what he's done playing for Queensland last year and in England for Somerset.

“I'd say he's going to be a frontrunner for that role. Who opens with him? I think the Pakistan series might tell a few stories. It wouldn't surprise me if Usman Khawaja opened in that series.”