Australian coach Darren Lehmann has said that batsman David Warner has still not secured his Test place for the third Ashes Test despite scoring a blazing 193 for Australia A against South Africa A.
According to Telegraph.com.au, Lehmann has again implored his players to press on and make big hundreds as Australia prepares for the third Test at Old Trafford, beginning on Thursday.
However, the coach insisted that Warner, who has rejoined the Ashes tour after returning from Africa, is still not a certainty for the third Test, although he said that Warner fulfilled his team expectations by making 193, adding that the team needed players to make hundreds.
Lehmann also said that they would come up with the names of the players in the top six only after looking at the wicket at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, Lehmann also suggested Phillip Hughes and opener Ed Cowan may have done themselves as much harm as good by failing to turn half centuries into big hundreds, saying that players should be able to make centuries when they got into such scenarios, although he added that the duo played well and got the team through some tough times.
However, the report said that Hughes, who is the leading first class run scorer on tour with 436 at 62, having made 84 and 38 in the three-day match against Sussex, and Cowan, making 66 and 77 not out opening the batting, could miss out in Manchester with the team suffering from batting woes, which were exposed with a 347-run second Test defeat at Lord's.
But, Steve Smith appears to have shored up his position with an unbeaten hundred against Sussex following four wickets with his occasional leg-spinners at Lord's, the report added.