The 'Knocking Down The Door Index': Who could Australia turn to for the Ashes?

According to Justin Langer, Australia simply do not have enough players 'absolutely banging the door down' right now, and The Cricketer has crafted a new measurement in light of Langer's comments to see who should be in their squad for the Ashes

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Ahead of the fourth and final Test, Australia head coach Justin Langer bemoaned the lack of Australian players ‘absolutely banging the door down’.

Having just lost a home Test series to India for the first time, Australia’s next series is against Sri Lanka, but they will be already looking further ahead to the Ashes.

To help Justin and the gang, The Cricketer thought it appropriate to evaluate how hard the current squad have been banging on the proverbial door for them, and which potential replacements have been knocking that little bit harder.

All ratings out of 5 ✊.

BATSMAN

MARCUS HARRIS

Tests: 4

Average: 36.85

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊✊

Two test half-centuries which really should have been centuries and finishing as Australia’s leading run-scorer mean that the India series was comparatively a successful one for Harris. He could still be really rapping harder at that door but compared to what others have mustered, he has definitely come out with a bit of credit.

AARON FINCH

Tests: 5

Average: 27.80

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊

It seemed that the only people who thought that Aaron Finch was a Test opener were the Australian selectors and Justin Langer. He does not open for Victoria in first-class cricket, nor did he open for Surrey in the County Championship. He’s feebly poking at the door if anything and will be happy to make the squad.

USMAN KHAWAJA

Tests: 39

Average: 42.11

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊✊✊

Though he did not enjoy the best Test series against India, in the context of the current Australia side, Usman Khawaja is not knocking on the door, he’s destroyed it with a sledgehammer – there is no door. Easily their best batsman when Smith and Warner are not playing, the only way he will get dropped is through injury.

SHAUN MARSH

Tests: 38

Average: 34.31

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊

Shaun Marsh either puts his fist through the door, or he manages to miss it altogether. His Test career has been one of peaks and troughs, and this series was most certainly been a trough. There’s still no doubt that he is one of the most talented Australian batsman available, but the selectors may have had enough.

TRAVIS HEAD

Tests: 6

Average: 32.63

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊

Head is definitely at the door and the fact that he finished the India Test series as Australia’s second-highest run-scorer means his knocks will be heard louder than others in the side. The door will probably be opened to him again, and he would be unlucky to be dropped ahead of others who have not played quite as well.

PETER HANDSCOMB

Tests: 16

Average: 38.91

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊

It is a sign of how badly wrong Handscomb’s Test career has gone that he still has an average of 38.91. He was averaging 45.12 in the Sheffield Shield before getting picked so it wasn’t like he hadn’t been knocking, but he just seems to knock in a really weird way which everyone has picked up on. Whether the previous effectiveness of those earlier knocks gets him another go remains to be seen.

DAVID WARNER

Tests: 74

Average: 48.20

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊✊

Warner should, by cricketing ability, have five knocks out of five. He is without question better than anyone currently in the team. However, the fallout from the ball-tampering scandal, and how his role has been portrayed since by Smith and Bancroft, along with the way he generally conducted himself prior to it, should still go against him. He’s that mate you have a lot of fun with, but also find very embarrassing and gets you in trouble. Do you let him in? You want to.

STEVE SMITH

Tests: 64

Average: 61.37

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊✊✊

The former Australian captain will not need to knock. His pathway back into the Test side has been all but confirmed not only by what has been said by both Langer and current captain Paine, but how awful Australia’s batting has been since his departure. The door is open, Smith is going to walk through it, and he will be in England for the Ashes.

CAMERON BANCROFT

Tests: 8

Average: 30.92

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊

Whether Bancroft was actually knocking on the door really when he was first selected by Australia remains up for debate. Despite his best efforts to paint himself as some sort of victim-cum-villain, and his spiritual redemption on Instagram, it is highly doubtful whether Bancroft will be seen in a baggy green for a good while.

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Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, David Warner, and Marcus Harris are all likely to play in the Ashes

ALLROUNDERS

MITCHELL MARSH

Tests: 31

Batting Average: 25.39

Bowling Average: 43.91

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊

Australia’s selectors desperately want Mitchell Marsh to work, almost to the point where they’ve started imagining they’ve heard him knocking on the proverbial door. The Western Australia captain returned to the side with a very unremarkable performance in the third Test, and his selection did not seem to go down well with the MCG crowd. Probably in his own interest that he stays at home.

MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE

Tests: 3

Batting Average: 23.80

Bowling Average: 33.28

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊

Labuschange occupies that rare spot in Test cricket where, he’s not that great at batting, and he’s not that great at bowling, but he’s wonderfully average at both, so he should be picked. He’s essentially knocking lightly at the door with both hands which has really piqued the interest of the selectors, even though he’s still not knocking loudly. Who knows, he could be picked.

MARCUS STOINIS

Tests: 0

Batting Average (First-class): 33.61

Bowling Average (First-class): 42.36

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊✊

If there is any player you want to be knocking at your door, it is Marcus Stoinis. Just look at that jaw. Woof. His knocks have certainly turned the head of Shane Warne, and in truth his performances in the Sheffield Shield have actually been pretty good. That celebration in the second ODI was something as well wasn’t it? Gee, what passion. Maybe he's roaring at the door as well.

WICKETKEEPERS

TIM PAINE

Tests: 19

Average: 34.77

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊

The next few months are going to be quite strange for Tim Paine. As current captain, he should really be on the other side of the door opening it for others, however, one gets the sense he isn’t. Some are wondering whether he should be in the side, let alone captain. The latter might be up for debate, but he would be unlucky to not still have the gloves come the Ashes.

MATTHEW WADE

Tests: 22

Average: 28.58

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊

Wade is currently the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield, so he is definitely knocking on the door quite loudly. However, as Australian cricket seeks to change its culture, you get the sense that players like Wade just don’t fit the new model of ‘elite honesty’. Simply put, he might not be good enough for that combative attitude of his to fly anymore.

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Marcus Stoinis, Tim Paine, Matthew Wade, and Mitchell Marsh could make it into the Ashes squad

BOWLERS

MITCHELL STARC

Tests: 49

Average: 28.91

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊✊

It has not been the best few months for Mitchell Starc. Once a player who had a key to the door, there are rumblings amongst some dangerously tanned and suspiciously blonde parts of the Australian media that his place in the side should be under scrutiny. Across 2018 he averaged 33.35, which is not terrible, but not the heights expected of a player of his quality. Most are confident Starc knows where his key is, but he might not…

PAT CUMMINS

Tests: 18

Average: 24.51

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊✊✊

One bowler who keeps getting better and better, and a player who definitely does not need to knock on the door anymore - like Starc he has a key to it. The only Australian bowler to take more than ten wickets who finished the India series with an average below 30. Arguably one of the best fast bowlers in the world currently playing.

JOSH HAZLEWOOD

Tests: 44

Average: 27.14

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊✊✊

By his standards, Hazlewood did not have a brilliant series. However, he has cemented his place in Australia’s bowling attack as Mr. Reliable and contributes much more than just wickets, and is the owner of a key to the door as a result. Though stones have been thrown at the Australia attack, it would be really foolish to argue that it is the main source of their problems.

NATHAN LYON

Tests: 84

Average: 32.10

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊✊✊✊

The final player who we are going to use this rather tired ‘he has a key’ joke for. Lyon continues to be an integral part of the Australia bowling attack and is about as much of a certainty for the Ashes as there can possibly be. Even if there were big competition for his role as Australia’s spinner (which there isn’t really) he would still be well-placed.

CHRIS TREMAIN

Tests: 0

Average (First-class): 23.68

Official 'Knocking Down The Door' rating: ✊✊

Getting into the Australia bowling attack at this point in time must look somewhat impossible for those on the fringes. There are plenty of names we could have chosen, and we went with Tremain because he was selected in their squad for the first Test. Tremain has performed consistently well in the Sheffield Shield, but the current bowling attack is brilliant, and it will take someone really exceptional to break into it.

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Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood look safe picks, but Chris Tremain could challenge

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