Usman Khawaja believes Australia's best Test lineup is when Marnus Labuschagne bats at No.3, restoring the structure that once anchored the middle order.
Speaking to Fox Cricket on Thursday evening, the veteran opener said the side looks most dangerous when Labuschagne is back in his most familiar position.
"Obviously, my personal opinion, but I think our best team is always when Marnus is scoring runs at No.3," Khawaja said.
He explained that he views the debate as an opposition captain would, trying to identify the version of Australia that appears most threatening.
"I put myself out of the Australian cricket team, and I think, 'Well, if I were the English captain, what team wouldn't I want?'" he said.
"And it's always when you have Marnus scoring runs at three, Smith [at] four, and Head [at] five.
"At the moment, that's our best side."
Khawaja himself is locked in to open the batting for the Ashes, providing stability at the top of the order.
At 38, this series could be one of his final chances to represent his country in Test cricket.
Since debuting in 2011, he's scored 6,053 Test runs at an average of 43.86, including 16 centuries.
Nine of those hundreds have been made in Australia, and he owns memorable Ashes innings of 171, 137, and 101 not out in Sydney.
If Labuschagne slots back to No.3, Jake Weatherald shapes as the likely option to partner Khawaja at the top.
"He's been knocking the door down," Khawaja said, praising the South Australian opener's recent form.
He highlighted Weatherald's success during difficult Shield conditions last season, when seam-friendly wickets challenged many batters.
"Conditions last year were pretty hard at Shield cricket, and he was a standout," he said.
"You can see the wickets were green, but he found a way to score runs, both leg-side and off-side."
Weatherald averages 37.63 in first-class cricket and has posted recent scores of 57, 67 and 94, pushing his case strongly.
Khawaja admires his attacking style, particularly square of the wicket.
"He's very strong square of the wicket, cut shots, pull shots, but he also knows how to score down the ground," he said.
"When he is playing well, he's a guy who knows how to keep the momentum going and score runs."
MORE: What is Marnus Labuschagne's record in Australia?
Labuschagne, building back from a recently being dropped, now has a renewed chance to reclaim his spot.
And in Khawaja's eyes, placing him again at No.3 will give Australia their best chance to retain the Ashes on home soil.