Australian top-order to witness change following loss in WTC 2025 final: Head coach dropped Subtle hints

Following their loss in the World Test Championship 2025 final, Australian team is going to witness a change. Their coach Andrew McDonald has given hints that there will be change in the top-order for the West Indies tour- which will begin their new WTC Cycle.

Australia will face West Indies from June 25:
Australia faced a five-wicket defeat to South Africa in the title deciding clash of the WTC 2025 final. Now, the Aussies will face West Indies in a three-match Test series from June 25, which will also be followed by 5 T20 matches.

Marnus Labuschagne failed to impress in top-order:
Marnus Labuschagne was sent to open the innings at the Lord’s, so that Cameron Green- who was marking his comeback in the team- could be sent at the third spot. This decision did not come out fruitful as Labuschagne failed to impress. The right-handed batter scored only 17 runs in the first innings, and 22 runs in the second innings during the final against South Africa.

Andrew McDonald on change in the team:
During press conference on Sunday, Andrew McDonald said, “There was a lot of discussion on this before the final match, and I was talking a few weeks ago about the need for an opening combination, South Africa were better in this Test match, but, we have to focus on the improvements that we need to make, no doubt about that.”

Andrew McDonald on Marnus Labuschagne being in future plans:
Doubts have now grown on whether Marnus Labuschagne could be left out of the series against West Indies. However, Andrew McDonald has stated that he is important in the future plans of the team. Andrew stated that any player who has an average of above 45 in Test cricket is important for the team.

Andrew McDonald on youngsters shaping the next couple years:
Andrew McDonald said, “We have some young players coming in who, if they can keep their game in good shape for the next four or five years, can strengthen the batting order, but at the moment, he will be disappointed with this comeback. He has missed out on scoring big scores but we believe he can get back to his best, so he is part of our squad. I think he’s had a positive week here, working on the right things and preparing brilliantly, there’s no one who works harder than Marnus.”

Andrew McDonald on Usman Khawaja getting second chance:
Speaking about Usman Khawaja, Andrew McDonald hinted that he might be given more chances- just like David Warner when he was in the final phase of his Test career. Andrew said that he is under contract, he is an important player, and gives the team stability with his performance at the top.

Andrew McDonald on Usman Khawaja still playing for a long time:
Andrew McDonald said, “There is no doubt that he has failed in some innings. After this people start talking that maybe now his career has come to an end. But, the way he is training, the way he is preparing, and the way he is progressing, I don’t see the end of his career, I think he still has a lot of runs left in him. It will depend on his inner motivation and the way he prepares.”