It all comes down to the final Shield hit-out, with no one banging down the door to demand the baggy green

We are two rounds into the Shield and unfortunately, we are no closer to choosing Usman Khawaja’s next opening partner, although Davey Warner has indicated that he is fit and available.

But while the focus is on the top order, given the perceived weakness of Australia’s batting line-up last summer, how are we looking across the board?

Before we assess the season to date, we should give some obvious caveats – two games is a small sample size and there are still more opportunities for players to prove themselves.

But with that out of the way, let’s look at who is performing, who is giving us what we expected and who is on the verge of being dropped back down in seconds.

opener: It has been a tough start to the season for some of the favorites to take on Bumrah and Co.

Far and away the most popular choice among professional and amateur pundits is quickly losing its chance; Poor Bancroft has scored a pair, 8 and 2, for a season average of 2.5. Although his work over the past two years will hold him in good stead, at a certain point you have to start considering whether you can choose a guy who hasn’t spent any time in between.

Sadly for those of us in the Sunshine State, Matty Renshaw has chanced a recall slip with disappointing returns of 6, 15, 2 and 21 at an average of 11. His omission from the Australia A line-up may have been the nail in the coffin, but the lack of a single point of note has left him well short of the eighth ball.

So what about our third contestant? Marcus Harris started the season with a bang, but his returns have steadily declined inning-by-inning; 143, 52, 26 and 16. The usual Junction Oval comments are in abundance, but runs remain the currency and an average of 52.25 to start the season leaves him within striking distance of a recall.

But what about deep in left-field? Henry Hunt’s name was thrown up due to a single score, but his duck in the second innings, coupled with the underwhelming returns in the first game (23 and 7) would certainly keep his name off the selector’s handkerchief.

Bancroft’s opening partner-in-crime hit a brilliant century in his first hit of the red-ball season, but was unable to follow it up, with scores of 29, 13 and 4 at an average of 37 at the start of the season. Solid, but not screaming ‘pick me up’.

Thus, as day follows night, we come to Australian cricket’s new pin-up boy – Sam Konstas. Is he the reincarnation of Ponting? Do we need him in the team just to bring the average age down to 40? In a struggling batting line-up, scores of 152, 105, 2 and 43 and good returns for the young partner (average 75.5). Personally, I think he has some good scores for Australia A away from the baggy green, but who really knows?

It’s probably worth mentioning that Khawaja has continued his worrying trend of scoring between 30 and 70 without actually kicking. Scores of 31, 64*, 0, 39 (average 44.66) have allowed him some time in between, but this is in line with his recent returns at Test level (no centuries since June 2023, only one last summer two fifties and his averages in his last three series were 36, 46 and 22). Australia are going to need a lot more than that this summer.

Sam Konstas. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/Getty Images)

Middle order: Now the time has come for the selectors to go to the place with least controversy. It seems we are destined to see Labuschagne, Smith and Head at 3, 4 and 5. But how are they actually travelling?

Marnus started his season in a bit of style, but like Harris, his returns diminished with every return to the crease; 77, 35*, 22 and 10. One not out and the small sample size means he averages 48 for the season, but like Khawaja, Australia will need a lot from his first drop this summer.

If it is almost impossible to assess a player’s form from two games, then it is absolutely foolish to assess it from a single game. Nonetheless, Head and Smith are potentially underperforming in the series. The concern is that with the ODI matches scheduled on 4, 8 and 11 November, Smith will likely not feature in the Shield again and will certainly not play for Australia A unless he is eligible for the ODIs, starting on 14 November. Don’t get ready for the game. Similarly, Head is on parental leave so is unlikely to bowl another red ball before the first Test. not ideal.

But how are the contenders doing? As I have set aside those who raise their hands or wear gloves, I will mention only two; Davis and McSweeney. Davis has started his career with a bang, but returns of 37, 36, 37 and 1 (average 27.75) suggest he will not be forced to force his way into the side this season.

McSweeney, on the other hand, made a strong start to the season with scores of 55, 127*, 37, 72, giving him a Bradman-like season average of 97 by November. As can often happen with young players, this flood of runs has caused his overall first-class average to climb from 33 to 36; This could be a breakout season for the young captain-in-waiting.

All-rounder: We can now move on to everyone’s favorite type of cricketer, the all-rounder, or ‘Miller-lite’ if you like, for those with a keen sense of history.

Let’s start with the guy who doesn’t have a chance this year – Aaron Hardy. It’s not because I don’t like him, but it seems like he’s not on the radar and opening his account with 12 and 6 hasn’t helped his cause. But really, when he wasn’t announced for the Australia A line-up, you’d think he’d only play white-ball cricket for Australia this summer.

Aaron Hardy batting. (Photo by Jason McCauley – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Beau Webster started the season with a century, picking up where he left off. A quiet second game doesn’t really mean anything and his appointment to the Australia A team shows the selectors are keeping an eye on him in case Mitchell Marsh breaks down.

Disappointingly Marsh has started the season with returns that mirror his career so far; 13, 94, 9, 6 at an average of 30.5. He is certain to play for the Australians in the opening Test and has declared himself fit to bowl as required, but you can’t escape the feeling that the inconsistency that has plagued him throughout his career has gone away. Has not happened.

Keepers: So, let’s end with a feel-good story of being an Australian wicketkeeper at the moment. A couple of centuries (111 and 123) along with 90 and 42 have seen Alex Carey having the summer of his life. He will be at number seven, don’t worry about it.

But hot on his heels is his white-ball replacement, Josh Inglis, who has scored two centuries of his own to record 122, 48, 101 and 26* so far this season. Had he been opening, he would probably have already been marked facing Bumrah’s first bouncer. Honorable mention should also go to Phillips who has scored 56, 0, 45* and 88 at an average of 63 so far this season.

If we’re being honest, the start to the season hasn’t been convincing. If India had scored anything more than 46 in their first hit-out against New Zealand, alarm bells would probably have been ringing. In fact, you get the real sense that it could be all about the bowlers this summer.

I am going all the way and will move Constas as Khawaja’s opening partner in a few weeks. I really think he’s one point away from being selected in Australia A. Poor Bancroft couldn’t have picked a worse time to register some low scores.

It’s nice to see that McSweeney’s is starting to live up to the hype; If Labuschagne and Smith struggle this summer, success against India A could still give them a chance. But selectors are conservative, so he should have some pretty amazing numbers.

Webster feels he is one injury away from selection due to Green’s absence and so far he has kept his name at the top of the list as the selectors love centuries at the right time. You get the feeling Hardy is a little left out.