By Dr M. R. Somasunderam.

Warner and Khawaja are of the age where their respective performances as opening batsmen for Australia are of paramount importance. They cannot afford to be dropped and selected again to the national team based on their respective ages at thirty six years of age respectively.

The Australian team has included Warner too long based on his past performances and Khawaja even if he keeps making the same mistakes again time after time. I will be more specific in regard to both Warner and Khawaja.

Warner in my view is past his best. He chases wide deliveries outside his off stump and drags some deliveries to his stumps from way outside off stump. He does not seem to know where his off stump is and at times nicks deliveries outside his off stump to the slips or wicket keeper. He plays the half pull, which is a non-effectual stoke which has also brought his demise on a few occasions. Round the wicket by a right arm pace men targeting him just on a fourth stump line is good enough to bring the downfall of Warner these days, which was not necessarily the case in the past when Warner was in good form and scoring runs consistently.

Khawaja is like David Gower in some ways as he is causal does not move his feet precisely forward or back and is front on rather than being side on when playing defensively off the back foot. He also plays away from his body on the back foot and does not get right to the pitch of the ball or delivery when playing off the front foot. He also does not have a traditional V Grip when holding the bat. His stance is also too much opened or two eyed stance rather than being side on when facing a bowler. Khawaja is not a quick runner of singles and does not look to get singles in order to rotate the strike regularly. He keeps making the same mistakes gain and again. He also likes to feel ball on bat and plays at deliveries outside his off stump when he should be leaving them alone as they are good deliveries bowled on a fourth stump line. He therefore is not sure like Warner where his off stump is.  So in conclusion I feel Warner and Khawaja should be given their final opportunities or chances at the Oval in London in the upcoming fifth Test Match against England and if their performances are not good, drop them and look for young blood, as it is vitally required or needed in the Australian Men’s national team.