Pat Cummins reveals ideal No. 3 for Australia ahead of Windies Tests

Australian captain Pat Cummins has picked his ideal number three batter ahead of the first Test match against the West Indies, starting Wednesday. He added that he sees Cameron Green as a long-term option for the number three slot and noted that Green has been striking the ball really well.

“I always like to not have too many moving parts. We see that [Green at No. 3] as a long-term option. I think going into last week, he`s hitting the ball really well, he`s moving really well. He had a Test match where it obviously didn`t go to plan. Think he only faced three or four balls, so the message is not to look into that too much. We`re really happy with where his game`s placed and I dare say we`ll get a decent run of No. 3,” Cummins told ESPNCricinfo.

Marnus Labuschagne, who failed to deliver at the top during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa, has not been included in the squad for the Caribbean tour. In the WTC final, the right-hander managed scores of 17 and 22 in the two innings.

Speaking about his snub, Cummins said, “I think him at his best is a well and truly an international standard Test batter. If there`s an opening, we could see him fighting his way back into the Test team at some point. Obviously the focus now is giving a couple of other guys a go. He`s had a pretty good run and obviously didn`t make the most of it as well as he would like, so [we are] offering that opportunity to the next couple of guys”.

Despite also failing to post big scores, opener Usman Khawaja has retained his place in the squad. In place of Labuschagne, Australia’s think tank has named Sam Konstas in the squad.

Australia`s Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

(With ANI inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day