Usman Khawaja’s international future is under a cloud after being officially ruled out of the second Test at the Gabba, having failed to recover from the back spasms he suffered during the Perth Test.
Khawaja attempted a short 30-minute net session on Tuesday—the first time he had batted since the injury—but he was unable to train without discomfort. As a result, the selectors did not consider him fit for the match. This will be the first Test he has missed since his return to the side in early 2022.
A team statement confirmed: Khawaja will remain with the squad to continue his rehabilitation.
The third Test in Adelaide begins on December 17, giving him roughly two weeks to recover. However, the question now is not only about his fitness but also his place in the side.
Khawaja’s form has been heavily scrutinized—he has averaged just 31.84 since the end of the 2023 Ashes, with only one century in his last 45 innings. Meanwhile, Travis Head’s explosive innings as a stand-in opener in Perth, highlighted by his 123 off 83 balls, has sparked debate over whether the time has come to move on from Khawaja at Test level.
Head the Leading Candidate to Open Again
Head is expected to retain the opening position he filled in Perth, although Australia’s management has not ruled out alternative batting-order options. Coach Andrew McDonald has previously spoken about the possibility of flexible line-ups depending on match situations.
Scott Boland said he anticipated Head stepping up once more.
“I’d probably expect Trav to open,” Boland noted.
He added that Khawaja had looked decent in the nets but clearly didn’t feel ready:
“He must’ve thought he wasn’t right to go.”
Inglis and Webster in the Wings
Josh Inglis and Beau Webster remain the reserve batting options. Inglis, who made a century on Test debut earlier this year, followed it up with another hundred for England Lions last week. Webster, who missed out in Perth, has four half-centuries in his first seven Tests and continues to offer valuable bowling support.
Boland acknowledged that losing Khawaja wasn’t ideal but remained optimistic:
“The strength of our side is that whenever someone goes out—through form or injury—someone else steps up. We’ve shown our depth time and time again.”
A Tough Road Back for Khawaja?
If Head continues to produce strong performances at the top and the incoming middle-order batter performs well, Khawaja could face a difficult path back into the XI.
Khawaja first suffered the back spasms on the opening day in Perth. Due to time off the field, he could not open the batting and later made only 2 at No. 4, gloving a short ball from Brydon Carse. On day two, he fielded at first slip, taking a catch to dismiss Harry Brook before dropping a low chance off Jamie Smith. While attempting another leap at slip, his back spasmed again—effectively ending his involvement in the Test and paving the way for Head’s blistering century.
As Australia move into the Brisbane Test without their senior opener, the focus shifts to whether this marks a temporary setback—or the beginning of the end for one of the country’s most experienced batters.