[Getty Images]BBCTue, December 2, 2025 at 12:40 PM UTC·2 min readFormer England captain Michael Vaughan believes Australia will "only get better" after Usman Khawaja was ruled out of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.
"Say Travis Head is the opening batter and Josh Inglis comes at five, [Cameron] Green at six, Alex Carey at seven," said Vaughan on the Stick to Cricket podcast.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"They may not play the spinner with the pink ball, so they may end up with [Beau] Webster at eight, [Pat] Cummins at nine if he comes back, [Mitchell] Starc at 10 and [Scott] Boland 11.
"You are looking at Australia thinking, 'How do you beat that?'
"England had the best team they could've picked for the conditions in Perth, whereas it wasn't Australia's best team. My worry for England is that Australia will get better."
Australia captain Cummins has been left out of the home squad for the second Test, with Brendan Doggett set to play after making his debut in Perth.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever rumours had been building about Cummins' possible involvement following a lack of updates Cricket Australia on his recovery from a back injury.
Vaughan also repeated his concerns about England's line-up not playing in last weekend's pink-ball game in Canberra.
"It is like if Tiger Woods goes to the Masters and says he has prepared by going on the crazy golf and got a couple of shots through the windmill and 'I'm ready'. It is similar," Vaughan said.
"Am I so old school to suggest that by playing a game of pink-ball cricket to prepare yourselves to play a pink-ball game is professionalism?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"There will be four or five players that, if they don't play that game, they will arrive at The Gabba to play a pink-ball game for the first time in their career, that can't be right."
