Khawaja’s Back Issue to Undergo Further Tests as McDonald Weighs Batting-Order Options

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed that Usman Khawaja will undergo further medical assessment after the opener’s back spasms limited his involvement in the first Ashes Test in Perth. The 38-year-old was unable to open in either innings and batted only once, sparking concern ahead of the Brisbane Test.

Australia’s squad dispersed to their home cities on Sunday after the match ended inside two days, but Khawaja’s condition remains a key talking point. McDonald said the severity of the issue was still being determined, noting that the veteran has never previously experienced spasms of this kind.

“There was discussion around further investigation to whether it was more serious than what we first anticipated,” McDonald said on Monday. “We’ll work through that. Hopefully Usman is fit and available for selection.”

While McDonald’s “gut feel” is that Khawaja will recover in time, he acknowledged that spasms indicate an underlying problem. He dismissed suggestions that age was a factor, stressing that Khawaja’s intensive pre-Test golf routine—which included 54 holes in three days—had never caused issues previously.

“These things can happen,” McDonald said. “I don’t think you can join the dots to his age. It’s just one of those things.”

Khawaja’s injury and Travis Head’s blistering second-innings century as a stand-in opener have also prompted renewed debate about Australia’s batting order. Head blasted 123 off 83 deliveries to seal the match, prompting questions about whether he could be elevated permanently.

“We’ve got a lot to consider,” McDonald said. “Middle-order players aren’t usually the popular ones to open, but we’ll discuss what it looks like.”

He explained that Australia have long contemplated using Head flexibly, particularly in second innings where quick runs are needed. While Head has previously shown an ability to adapt—most notably during his match-winning century at No. 5 in Adelaide last year—McDonald cautioned against making decisions based on a single innings. Australia’s selectors have historically been reluctant to make major structural changes based on limited evidence, with Steven Smith’s brief experiment as an opener cited as an example.

McDonald maintained that Head’s success as a floating option gives the team strategic versatility.

“We’ve talked about a middle-order player moving up if conditions flatten out,” he said. “We’ve discussed Travis opening for a long time. Now that it’s out there—could it happen? Potentially, if the moment is right.”

Australia will assemble in camp in six days’ time, with Khawaja’s fitness and the opening combination set to be the major points of focus ahead of the Brisbane Test.