Cameron Bancroft continues to make a case for a return to Check cricket for the primary time for the reason that 2019 Ashes turning his fourth Sheffield Protect century for the season into 176 essential runs in Tasmania.
Whereas Australian coach Andrew McDonald has backed in Travis Head to fill the function vacated by injured David Warner in India, Bancroft’s identify looms massive as somebody selectors may take into account as a possible alternative.
Bancroft, who performed his final Check in opposition to England at Lord’s in 2019, leads the Protect run-scoring desk with 767 after knocking out an unbeaten 176 to offer his staff a 503 run lead in Hobart.
No-other batter has greater than two centuries within the competitors this summer time.
He’s additionally made two half-centuries, is averaging 56 and has confronted greater than 1500 balls this season, almost 500 greater than some other batter.
The person Bancroft displaced because the leading-run scorer within the competitors, Peter Handscomb, is already in India and again beneath a dishevelled inexperienced.
Australia has two Assessments to play in India and with Warner again in Australia after struggling a fractured arm, Bancroft may very well be parachuted in, given Matt Renshaw, who has additionally opened the batting, failed within the opening Check, was dropped, then failed once more when introduced in to interchange Warner mid-match.
However within the wake of the second Check catastrophe in Delhi, McDonald mentioned Head, who opened the batting within the second innings, may resume that function.
“If Dave’s unavailable, (Head opening) would make excellent sense,” McDonald mentioned in India.
“We did focus on earlier than coming over right here that if we had been to lose a gap batter that Trav can be one we’d look to place up there. We really feel within the subcontinental circumstances that he can get off to the quick begins which he confirmed.
“We don’t see (Head) as an opener in all circumstances, extra subcontinental and in different circumstances again to the center order.”
Bancroft performed the opening two Assessments of the 2019 Ashes after serving a ban for his involvement within the sandpaper scandal.
He was dropped for Marcus Harris and hasn’t performed for Australia since.
