London: Australia captain Pat Cummins said all selection options will be considered when he chooses the playing XI for the crucial fourth Ashes Test against England in Manchester.
Cummins’ side picked up their first defeat of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle when falling to a three-wicket loss to their old foe at Headingley on Sunday, but now have plenty of time to ponder what went wrong ahead of the next Test of an absorbing series at Old Trafford from July 19.
The visitors expect to have all-rounder Cameron Green and experienced seamer Josh Hazlewood available for selection after they missed the third Test, while a re-shuffle at the top of the batting order could also be on the cards as Australia attempt to add to their 2-1 series lead.
Veteran opener David Warner fell twice to long-time nemesis Stuart Broad at Headingley for scores of four and one, and the left-hander now has 141 runs for the series at an average of 23.50.
Cummins said all options will be on the table when selecting Australia’s XI for Manchester and a decision would not be made until closer to the Test and after seeing the conditions and state of the pitch.
“You keep all options open,” Cummins was quoted as saying by ICC.
“We’ve got nine or 10 days now, so we’ll take a deep breath. We’ll go away for a few days.
“But everyone comes back into it. Greeny should be fit for Manchester. Josh (Hazlewood) will be back in there as well. So we should have a full roster and we’ll have a look at the wicket and have a chat and work out the best XI.”
Cummins stopped short of guaranteeing all-rounder Mitch Marsh his place for Old Trafford, but admitted it would be difficult to leave out the 31-year-old following his superb century at Headingley and solid contributions with the ball.
–IANS