George Bailey's fitness will determine Matthew Wade's batting position for Australia © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
Sydney: Jun 26, 2012
Australia coach Mickey Arthur confirmed on Monday his side is looking to get the opening combination right ahead of their opening match against England at Lord’s on Friday.
Arthur said selectors were still trying to strike the perfect balance in terms of working out who should take guard for the start of the innings alongside David Warner.
Arthur also suggested that George Bailey’s fitness would determine whether Shane Watson or Matthew Wade opens in the first match of the five-match series. Bailey is currently suffering from groin niggle.
Both Watson and Wade have partnered Warner since the wicketkeeper's One-Day International debut in the Commonwealth Bank tri-series earlier this year.
Although Arthur wanted a degree of flexibility in the line-up, he admitted that he was keen to nail down a fixed combination ahead of the series.
"We'd like some consistency for our batters so they know where they're going to bat," Arthur said.
"But the batters know from my conversations with them that they know what's expected. They know what roles they're going to play," he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
