By shoehorning regular number three Marnus Labuschagne up to number two for the World Test Championship final against South Africa, the Aussies have opted to repeat the recently failed experiment in which Steve Smith replaced the retired David Warner as an opening bat, only to average 28.50 before dropping back down to his preferred number four.
The 30-year-old averaged just 25 (Sri Lanka), 26 (India), 25 (New Zealand) and 6 (West Indies) in his last four Test series and, with that in mind, has been viewed by many as the least indispensable member of the Australia XI with newer options such as Josh Inglis and Sam Konstas waiting in the wings.
Labuschagne will be the seventh man to open the batting for Australia in the last 18 months, a run that also included Nathan McSweeney for three Tests against India and Travis Head for two against Sri Lanka as well as Warner, Smith, Khawaja and Konstas.
Cameron Green forced his way back into the side not only as an incumbent prior to his long-term back injury but through his stunning three first innings centuries in a five-game County Championship stint for Division 2 side Gloucestershire.
"Cam Green has come back in great form and he deserves a spot in the batting lineup. We thought three suits him best. With Marnus moving, we thought it's only one spot up. It's not too different to batting three."
When pressed further on the reasoning behind selecting an experimental opener instead of 19-year-old dynamo Konstas, Cummins pointed to Labuschagne's previous Ashes tours, including the breakout series in 2019 that saw him quickly soar to the top of Australian cricket.
"He's done well in England in the past," Cummins said of his colleague who averages nearly 40 on English soil.
"The selectors went with experience. He's batted well here at Lord's but in England in general."
Cummins also explained that there was no consideration of future events such as the upcoming tour of the West Indies when choosing their side for the final.
"It's a final so we've picked the best XI for this week. George (lead selector George Bailey) said in the past there's not a huge connection between this week and the Caribbean, and then we'll think about the West Indies after this game."
The captain publicly assured Konstas that time is on his side, as well as 36-year-old fast bowler Scott Boland who is front of mind of he and the selection panel despite missing out again.
"There are some guys who you say 'you have genuinely done nothing wrong and don't change' and that's Scotty," Cummins explained.
"He's really unfortunate to miss out. The message to Scott is that there's a lot of Test cricket in the next couple of years, and just because you're in your mid-30s it doesn't mean (his career is over).
"By having a squad of fast bowlers hopefully we can extend all of our careers for an extra couple of years. He's not running out of time."
Three-Test player Beau Webster also retained his place in the Australia XI and will be used as a fifth bowler in the absence of number three Cameron Green, who is not yet fit to bowl his bouncy, nippy deliveries.
"It's tough here at Lord's. Either you really need a fifth bowler or you don't need one (at all). There's almost nothing in between.
"We saw in Sydney when the conditions were seaming that he (Webster) was brilliant. I think these conditions will suit him well and his bowling will be crucial."
Cummins is particularly thrilled about the "unknowns" of bowling to some Proteas batters who have never faced Australia in Test cricket, such as Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and David Bedingham.
"Half of the guys we haven't played in Test cricket," Cummins said.
"Throw in a Duke's ball and a neutral ground and there are a few unknowns in the Test match, which is exciting.
"We'll have to problem solve on our feet a little bit more. They have a couple of big wicket-takers. Some of those younger and newer guys we haven't seen in the team before we'll have to be pretty sharp on."
Have a read of our preview of the 2025 World Test Championship final at Lord's, with Flashscore to provide live ball-by-ball stats throughout the game.
