He is currently averaging a sub-par 16.2 in the tournament so far.
The Ashes 2025 is just around the corner, and the debate over the veteran Australian batter Usman Khawaja’s opening partner in the mega red-ball clash is yet to settle. After the former Australian captain David Warner’s retirement, the team is still struggling to fill in his spot in the longest format of the game.
Following his impressive debut heroics during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series 2024-25, youngster Sam Konstas was believed to be the successor of Warner. But since then, the 20-year-old has failed to strengthen his spot in Australia’s top order, following a streak of poor outings in the red-ball format.
The ongoing Sheffield Shield 2025-26 has been no different for the batter. Konstas has managed to get to a fifty-plus score after registering 4, 14 and a four-ball duck in his first three innings of the tournament. However, the New South Wales opener could not continue his momentum in the subsequent fixture against the Queensland.
Notably, the batter had opted for leaving a middle-stump delivery of Hayden Kerr in the eighth over. But surprisingly, it hit the top of the middle-stumps as Konstas was again dismissed for a cheap score of 10.
Watch Konstas’ dismissal here:
His form of dismissals and the lack of consistency have sparked a debate among the Australian fans. Following the current run of form, many believe that he is unlikely to open the innings with Khawaja in Perth on November 21. Let’s take a look at some of the reactions on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
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Currently, opener Jake Weatherald is the frontrunner to claim the Ashes 2025 opening spot, backed by a consistent show in Australia’s First-Class tournament so far. The veteran player, Marnus Labuschagne, is also set to make a comeback in the red-ball team after being dropped for the West Indies rubber.
However, the Queensland batter is likely to reclaim his spot at No.3. On the other hand, Khawaja has backed teammate Matt Renshaw to be another opening option for the management. The 29-year-old has recently put up a sublime 128 on their campaign opener against Tasmania.
“He is in the best space right now to have a crack at Australia again and be ready to score runs. He’s been there and done it. He has scored 184 for Australia. He has been in and out of the Australian team and it allows you to grow,” opined Khawaja.
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