As the Australian cricket season kicks off, there’s a big question on everyone’s mind: who will open the batting against India?

The selectors have made it clear that Steve Smith will no longer be opening, which means a new partner for Usman Khawaja needs to be chosen.

There are four main candidates for the role: Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, Sam Konstas, and Nathan McSweeney.

The issue is that none of these players have truly proven themselves at the Test level. While Harris and Bancroft perform well in first-class cricket, they struggle to bring that success into Test matches. Harris has an average of 25.3 from 26 innings with only three half-centuries, while Bancroft has a slightly better average of 26.2 from 18 innings, also with three half-centuries.

Sam Konstas has shown potential with back-to-back centuries in the Sheffield Shield this season, but at just 19 years old and with only seven first-class games under his belt, he’s still very inexperienced. Nathan McSweeney, although a strong player, has never opened before, making him a risky choice.

The Australian selectors have admitted that trying out Steve Smith as an opener was a mistake, but they value consistency in their team selections. This is why Smith was originally picked to open alongside Khawaja.

One option that stands out is Travis Head. He’s already proven himself as an opening batsman in Tests, averaging an impressive 91 from three innings at the top of the order. He has also been consistent in one-day cricket, averaging 53 from 36 innings. Unlike Khawaja and Smith, who are both known for their slow scoring rates, Head strikes at 64.7 in Test matches and has been even more aggressive in recent years, with a strike rate of 79.2 over the last four years.

There are some concerns about the team’s balance with Cameron Green ruled out due to injury. Without him, Australia might not have enough options to give their main bowlers a rest during long innings. However, the selectors don’t seem too worried. They have Mitchell Marsh in the middle order and Head and Marnus Labuschagne can also bowl when needed. This flexibility allows Australia to include another specialist batsman if necessary.

One such option is Peter Handscomb. Handscomb has a solid Test average of 37.2 and is even better on home soil, where he averages 47.2. He’s been in excellent form recently—last season he was among the top run-scorers in the Sheffield Shield and had an outstanding season in England’s County Championship, scoring 894 runs at an average of 74.5.

Handscomb also impressed during Australia’s recent Test series against India, scoring an unbeaten 72 and finishing as one of Australia’s top run-scorers in that series.

At 33 years old, Handscomb appears to be in peak form, and with Head’s proven success as an opener, this combination could be something the Australian selectors seriously consider.