.Ten months following David Warner's Test retirement, Australia is actually nowhere near closer to finding a replacement.The one option enigma in advance of this summer season's Border-Gavaskar Prize remains the identity of Usman Khawaja's opening up partner, a storyline that dominated the back page of papers final summer.Ahead of January's Frank Worrell Trophy, Steve Johnson was elevated to opener to make room for Cameron Veggie between order, permitting the nation's 6 best concoctions to match the exact same starting XI.But 4 Exam matches later on, there are rumblings of another modification to Australia's batting purchase in front of the highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which receives underway in Perth next month.Watch India v New Zealand LIVE & exclusive to Fox Sports, accessible on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free of cost trial today > Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Mitchell Meadow Bright and also Green have each conveyed reluctance when inquired about the prospect of position, while the back trauma Eco-friendly endured in the United Kingdom final month generated additional intrigue concerning the Examination edge's make-up. The 1st couple of rounds of Sheffield Defense activity, which starts Tuesday, can offer a hint for the national selectors' intentions the state coaches have actually revealed they agree to change their beginning XI to assist prep Australia's Exam superstars for the home summertime. If Smith opened up the hitting for cry this month, as an example, it would suggest he's a nice chance to experience the brand new round against India.Regardless, the dominating belief is actually that if national selectors don't introduce a professional opener for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a propitiatory sheep within the team will require to move up the purchase to encounter the brand new ball.Usman Khawaja of Australia. Photograph through Kai Schwoerer/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesSTEVE SMITHDespite being Australia's necessary Test opener, it shows up progressively not likely that Steve Johnson will experience the brand new round versus India next summer.The New South Welshman readily drove his instance to change Warner at the top of the purchase final summer months, which consequently served Eco-friendly's come back to the Test edge. 2 birds, one stone.Smith, who had never opened prior to at top-notch amount, cracked an unbeaten 91 against the West Indies in the pink-ball Examination at the Gabba, albeit in a shedding source. However, sceptics continued to be after the right-hander enrolled credit ratings of 31, 0, 11 and 9 throughout the Test excursion of New Zealand, entraped LBW in both innings in Christchurch.When questioned regarding what role he will play in the Exam side this summertime, Smith appeared much less excited regarding the prospect of opening up the batting." I'm comfortable hitting any place," Smith informed Fox Cricket in August." Our team'll observe what that seems like, I suppose, whether they want me to continue (position) or return to 3 or 4. We'll hang around and also view." I'm rather effortless batting anywhere. Our experts'll only observe what accumulates and also what the mind trust wants." Smith includes an outstanding document at No. 4 in Tests, gathering 5966 go for 61.50 with 19 centuries it's why opening up partner Usman Khawaja would choose to find his past leader return to 2nd splash his summer season." Position is actually a really significant area ... (however) I still assume our team possess the greatest Exam player of my time in the edge, in Steve Johnson, and his best area has been actually variety four," Khawaja said to Fox Cricket last month." I feel like that's his finest location." Steve Johnson of Australia. Photograph through Pat Hoelscher/ AFPSource: AFPFormer Australian depictive Simon Katich, who successfully transitioned from a middle-order batter to a Test opener, thinks Johnson should have yet another chance at the top of the order." It's still really early in Johnson's opening profession," Katich said to the Cricket Et Al podcast last month." He's simply performed it in New Zealand and a number of Examinations against the West Indies. It can easily take a while to adjust. Like any sort of challenge, the moment you do it often and also you acquire used to it, you develop a strategy in order to exactly how you're visiting engage in it and I believe he's probably still resolving that." I 'd back him to be able to overcome that obstacle and also I believe he is actually experienced good enough as well as acceptable to trouble address as we all recognize." MARNUS LABUSCHAGNEThe possibility of Marnus Labuschagne opening up the hitting in Examinations experiences less jarring than various other choices due to the fact that the change coming from No. 3 to opener isn't as drastic.The Queenslander, that has actually inhabited the No. 3 location in the Examination side for over 5 years, is actually greater than with the ability of encountering the swinging reception, walking out to baseball bat along with Australia but to rack up a work on 8 occasions.He has actually opened up the hitting 15 opportunities at superior confess an average of 34.86, scratching a century for Glamorgan in the Area Championship in Might."( Labuschagne) has acquired the capability to perform it. For the group at the same time, they'll be dealing with what's the ideal set-up for the side," past England concoction Ian Bell claimed in 2015." He's been actually thus effective, his varieties are actually astonishing, surely in Australia at the same time in the duty he plays. There is actually no question he could perform it." Regardless of a kind slump over the past 18 months, Labuschagne has actually been Australia's the majority of regular No. 3 Exam concoction considering that Ricky Ponting, averaging 51.78 featuring 11 centuries at first drop.However, his altitude will cue yet another rejig between purchase along with Smith away from placement in the beginning reduce moving Labuschagne to opener resolves an issue while generating two new ones.Marnus Labuschagne of Australia. Photograph by Kai Schwoerer/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesTRAVIS HEADFollowing his current effectiveness in the white-ball field, Crown has actually become a leading candidate to baseball bat together with Khawaja in the Exam field this summer season, complying with in the footsteps of Warner by opening with all three formats.Shifting the South Australian around open up would certainly enable Smith to go back to his popular No. 4 setting, but nationwide selectors may hesitate to component methods with his counterattacking design in the middle purchase." Head goes to the front line of that queue although he doesn't actually want to be actually," Headlines Corporation media reporter Robert Craddock informed SEN Whateley last month. "I don't assume he finds himself as a position baseball bat in Examination cricket." There is actually a little bit of a pillow if he falls short given that it wasn't his program, he never ever volunteered to go certainly there. So if he neglects, he has the rider of claiming, 'Hey, I was actually going completely fine down the order, incidentally'." He is actually the impressive favourite for the posture currently." Head has opened up the hitting before at Exam level, albeit only for 3 matches during the course of last year's Border-Gavaskar Prize project in India after Warner suffered a possession accident. Throughout a collection where a lot of Australia's batters battled for consistency, he marked 223 perform at 55.75 in 5 knocks, while he is actually expected to return to that setting for upcoming year's Examination scenic tour of Sri Lanka.The left-hander confessed he appreciated opening the batting on India's turning decks in 2015 as it allowed him to settle right into his innings against the quicks." For me, it is actually anywhere our company align better as a team," Scalp told Fox Cricket when asked them about the suggestion of position in Sri Lanka next year." I more than happy where I'm at." It appeared to work, being actually a bit more vigorous at the top, it felt like I got myself in to the game, which was nice in those disorders, experiencing swift bowling first." It depends on the crew's condition ... whatever mixture our company toss out, it will not impact just how the team manages." Australia's Travis Scalp. Photo by Sanka Vidanagama/ AFPSource: AFPMeanwhile, there have actually been sticking around issues concerning Head's weakness to short-pitched bowling, which may be uncovered against the brand-new round on Australia's fast decks."( India) is going to jump the crap out of him," Australian cricket legend Allan Perimeter told Updates Corporation last week." He does not play the short ball along with a few other. He doesn't duck." Regardless, Khawaja has tossed his help supporting Head opening up the hitting this summer season, announcing he was actually the best option in Australia's existing starting XI." I feel like Travis Head might be greatest suited," Khawaja said to Fox Cricket final month." He's obviously been best-selling opening the hitting in one-day cricket and, simplifying, I will possibly bend towards him." The assurance transmissions over. When you are actually finding the ball properly, racking up considerable amounts of runs as well as very little is undergoing your head, it's a great spot to become." Adhering to the very first ODI versus England at Trent Bridge, Crown validated he recognized the developing hunch about his role in the Test edge." Maintain the babble, it produces it fascinating," Head smirked during the post-match interview." I'm certainly not visiting dive into that. I'll merely let that play out." CAMERON GREENHeading into the previous Test summer, Green was considered an authentic option to replace Detector when the expert opener put up the boots.There had not been any kind of area for Veggie in the Examination edge's center order adhering to Mitchell Meadow bright's outstanding Headingley century in the course of the Ashes, yet nationwide selectors aspired to discover a job for the West Australian.And although the concept was eventually scrapped in favour of Johnson's elevation, maybe taken another look at in front of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Green, that has never opened up at first-class degree, earlier suggested that No. 4 was his ideal spot in red-ball cricket, along with the right-hander thumping a career-best 174 certainly not out against New Zealand at 2nd decline earlier this year." There's no question in my mind he can (open)," Watson informed ESPNcricinfo earlier the year." Australia requires to obtain Cameron Environment-friendly into the crew as well as the opportunity that you have actually got right now is actually for him to open up. They'll merely need to manage his bowling, for certain, like along with my bowling when I was opening the hitting. Yet he definitely has obtained the skill, the run-scoring capacity and the understanding to be able to take advantage of being actually an opening batter without a doubt. It might take him a video game or more merely to become able to work out specifically what his strategic plan is. However he's certainly got the activity and the mindset to make the most of it." In the meantime, Australia deals with an anxious wait on Veggie's schedule for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the all-rounder sustained a back trauma in the UK final month. Hanging the seriousness of the accident, he might act as a specialist batter.Cameron Environment-friendly of Australia. Photo through Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesMITCHELL MARSHLast summer season, Mitchell Meadow bright did his greatest to brush aside inquiries concerning likely opening the hitting in Examinations." How do I answer this without making a title?" Marsh contemplated at the moment." For me ... I have actually worked really tough to get back in this edge as well as for me to eagerly anticipate possessing a function as an opener merely does not make good sense to me." I enjoy being at amount 6 and in my final 4 Examination matches I have actually really found my way and I suppose who I am actually as a Test cricketer as well as I am actually loving it, so I'm reluctant to change that." Wetland's bro and father successfully opened up the hitting in Exams, while the West Australian has a good document when dealing with the brand new ball in one-day cricket.However, the reigning Allan Perimeter Medallist has been actually Australia's the majority of steady batter since he went back to the Exam side in 2013, and nationwide selectors might hesitate to change him from No. 6. In a column for the 9 papers final summer season, Australian folklore Greg Chappell labelled Meadow bright a "compelling" alternative to switch out Detector on top of the purchase." His explosive hitting style, integrated with a potential to handle rate, placements him as the most effective applicant," Chappell wrote during the time." Marsh's effectiveness in attacking down the ground and also executing effective hooks and also decreases is actually ideal to counter-attack quick bowling." Former England leader Michael Vaughan also floated the idea in front of last year's Ashes series when Detector was actually under the gun to keep his location in the Test side.Australia's Mitchell Marsh. Picture by Dab Hoelscher/ AFPSource: AFPAlthough Wetland has actually never baseball batted higher than No. 5 in Sheffield Shield all over 95 innings for Western Australia, he plays fast bowling along with anybody in the nation." In this contemporary game, it is actually excellent to have a position batsman who seems proactive, wants to take the activity on," past Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin stated on the Willow Talk podcast in 2014."( Meadow bright) gets size as easy as anybody in this particular Australian team. He is actually experienced a ton of quick bowling in the West." When there's options I don't mind his label and also view exactly how he goes at the top of the purchase." an individual ELSEAustralian train Andrew McDonald has suggested it would certainly be actually strongly extremely unlikely for a specialist opener to become prepared in coming from outside the XI, restating that the top 6 coming from the New Zealand set will continue to be for the first Examination against India." Our experts feel as though that the staff that completed in New Zealand, should they receive a well-maintained perform at it and be properly prepped, after that they would be actually the best-placed gamers to fill up that, there is actually certainly concerning that," McDonald told SEN previously this month.However, those opinions happened before Environment-friendly's back injury, which might open the door for an expert opener to glide in to the Examination side.Matthew Renshaw is the necessary extra concoction, having visited New Zealand with the Examination side previously this year, however the Queenslander might have slipped down the chain of command adhering to an underwhelming summer in the Sheffield Shield.Victorian opener Marcus Harris was actually additionally featured in the Examination team in 2015, yet similarly fell out of favour due to his drab superior efficiencies, while Nic Maddinson has been in excellent Sheffield Defense form.Cameron Bancroft of Western Australia. Photograph by Can Russell/Getty ImagesSource: Getty ImagesHowever, must a specialist opener be required for the Perth Test against India, home town hero Cameron Bancroft is a leading candidate.The West Australian has actually been in scintillating type in the Sheffield Shield over the final 24 months, organizing 1728 perform at 54.00 during the course of that period, including ten hundreds.Bancroft possesses a riches of experience against the new reception and will be fully equipped to take care of Indian quicks Jasprit Bumrah as well as Mohammad Siraj this summer." Against an extra conventional Exam suit attack like India I prefer to go with a conventional opener," Border carried on." I will return to Bancroft. I am fulfilling performance." I am actually certainly not visiting say I pity Bancroft, however you might too certainly not worry about having a Sheffield Defense competition if you don't reward its own leading artists.".