Batting Ashton Agar at No 6 a risk Darren Lehmann is keen on THE Australian selectors already have taken one massive gamble on Ashton Agar but perhaps the moment is ripe for them to take an even bigger one and play him as a specialist batsman in the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval next week. Agar's first Test at Trent Bridge produced one of the most unforgettable innings in the history of Test cricket, 98 runs off 101 balls coming in at No 11, yet there is also a "yes, but" element about his debut. Yes, he batted brilliantly but he was there for his left-arm spin and only took 2-106 for the match, 3-106 if his indisputable dismissal of Stuart Broad is included. They were, nonetheless, the first Test wickets ever taken by a teenage Australian spinner. When he then followed up with match figures of 0-142 in his second Test at Lord's, the experiment was deemed a failure and he was overlooked for both Old Trafford and Durham. Yet, only half of the experiment failed -- and then possible only in the short term. As a left-arm spinner, Agar showed considerable promise and with more work and a lot more match experience, he might yet establish himself as a Test bowler. But as a batsman, he might already be of Test standard. It is understood the selectors were deeply impressed by what they saw, and not just in his miraculous first innings in Nottingham. He also showed an ability to temper his aggression when the circumstances demand, and occupied the crease for 71 deliveries in the second innings for 14 runs as Australia almost pulled off a stunning run chase, falling just 14 short of victory. The Lord's Test was utterly forgettable for him with bat as with ball. He was run out in the first innings for two and in the second was the victim of one of the many Decision Review System travesties that have marred this series, given out caught behind despite there being no Hot Spot evidence of a nick. With coach-selector Darren Lehmann insisting that only captain Michael Clarke and veteran opener Chris Rogers are certainties for the final Test, the batting order is almost entirely in a state of flux, with every player not currently in the Test side -- Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Matthew Wade, James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc and Agar -- in contention. It is unlikely Wade will displace Brad Haddin as keeper, given that Haddin has taken 25 catches in the series and is on course to break Rod Marsh's series record of 28, but Wade could be chosen as a specialist batsman. He has as many Test centuries to his credit as Shane Watson, two, and one more than Cowan. Hughes, too, is not without hope, though he has been tried so many times at Test level without ever cementing a place that there has to be some doubt whether he warrants further exploration. But where all the other batting alternatives have been tried and found wanting, Agar showed not just the temperament to succeed as a Test batsman but the technique as well. Lehmann conceded it was not out of the question he could play in that role at The Oval. "I like the way he goes about it," Lehmann said. You don't want to lose that natural instinct with someone like that who can actually hit a ball better than most, to be fair. At the end of the day, he bats 8 or 9 for Western Australia. If you're asking if he can bat 6 for Australia against a good attack, that might be a bit tough, but I like taking risks so that could happen. Certainly, if Agar were to bat at No 6, he would still be able to shoulder a full bowling load and it might well be that it is as a genuine all-rounder that he makes his return to the Test side, with the wicket at The Oval expected to take spin.