Australian all-rounder Cameron Green is fit and ready to play in the third and final Test of the series against South Africa. Green has revealed no.4 or no.5 as his ideal batting positions, but his return is likely to cause a change in the batting order. But Green understands that batting positions are dynamic and is ready to bat as per the team’s needs.
"I've had a lot of experience up and down the order," said Green. "I think I'm well suited at four and five.
"But obviously we've had some pretty incredible cricketers in those positions. So I'm very happy to move up and down the order depending on what the team wants."
Players who can be dropped, where Green can bat?
Three players who may face the axe are Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne and Beau Webster. Maddinson was never going to be a good fit, and his scores of 0 and 8 in the Gqeberha Test may lead to him getting benched. Meanwhile, Labuschagne has disappointed himself and the team management by throwing his wicket away after playing himself in. The manner of his dismissal in the second innings may lead to the team management running out of patience. Also, Beau Webster wasted chances with the bat by scoring 13 and 8. He did the holding job with the ball but remained wicketless in 19 overs.
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If Maddinson is dropped, Matt Renshaw is likely to move up the order and open with Travis Head, as he did in the second Test against Bangladesh. If Webster and Labuschagne are dropped as well, Australia can go with Green in the middle order and promote Renshaw to the top order. This can make way for fit-again Josh Inglis. Cooper Connolly is another option for Australia. Connolly can open or bat at no.3. Irrespective of the team combination that head coach Andrew McDonald and skipper Pat Cummins opt for, Green will be a part of the lineup.
Is no.5 the ideal position for Green?
Green has batted at no.5 in seven innings, scoring 270 runs at an average of 38.57. In the Test series against Bangladesh, he scored a century and a fifty to make the spot his own.
"Certainly [the Tests] up in Mackay and Darwin were huge positives in kind of how I wanted to play the game," he said.
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"There are probably learnings I took from the last Shield game I played, [in] kind of how I wanted to play and it felt pretty natural to me."
Earlier, he was tried at no.3 and managed 188 runs from eight innings, averaging 23.50. He had a solitary fifty in the top order, and Australia soon gave up on the experiment.
Green has batted six times at no.4 in 2024 and scored 268 runs, including a 174-run knock. His career-best 174 came against New Zealand in the Wellington Test.
Green has batted more regularly at no.6. From 29 innings, he has amassed 933 runs at an average of 34.55. He has a century and six fifties at this position.
He has batted at no.7 and no.8 as well. He does not have a fifty and averages below 30 in those positions.
Another selection dilemma Australia face is how to retain Scott Boland and include Nathan Lyon in the side.
Green ready for challenge
Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada have been in form and accounted for 12 wickets in the second Test. Green is up for the challenge posed by the Proteas pacers.
"They're obviously at the very top of their game at the moment. They're probably [in] the top few bowlers in the world. You always love those challenges. You want to step up against those guys and show what you can do," he said.
Green on his ‘unique injury’ and recovery
Green last played a game in the ODI series against South Africa. He was hit in the groin area by a delivery from Corbin Bosch. He is surprised to see how quickly he recovered from the injury.
"Pretty surprised with how quick it's actually healed, or how functional I feel only a few weeks after," Green said of his abdominal issue.
"It was really bizarre. I think there's definitely a pretty clear link between getting hit and then doing the injury. I think it's too much of a coincidence for them not to be related.
"Basically I got hit where you don't want to get hit and then two balls later, I went to go play a shot just behind the wicket – obviously had to lengthen my muscle, and I think my muscle was pretty keen to not move at that stage after I got hit.
"It's quite a unique injury. There are not many people that have done the injury and then tried to play a few weeks later. The (medical staff) didn't have much to go off … (but) it's all good to go for the last game."
Injury blow to South Africa
South Africa pacer Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the third Test due to a mild groin injury he sustained. In his absence, South Africa have three options: Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, and Dane Paterson.
The third and final Test of the series will be played at Newlands, Cape Town.
WTC standings after Test series decider
If South Africa win the third Test, they will not just win the series but move to the second spot on the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table. It will also lead to Australia slipping to the third spot, with New Zealand rising to the top.
If Australia win the third Test, they will hold on to their top spot. South Africa's win percentage will take a hit, but they will remain in the third position. It will be the same case if the Cape Town Test ends in a draw.
South Africa vs Australia Test squads -
South Africa squad for second Test: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne.
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (second Test onwards), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.