Australia has chosen a 15-man squad to defend their ICC World Test Championship title at Lord’s.
From seasoned campaigners to exciting new faces, here is who are in contention to make the final XI:
Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, is now 32 and has established himself as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the country’s history.
It has been 14 years since he made his Test debut as an 18-year-old, and his 294 Test wickets rank him seventh all-time among Australians, with Glenn McGrath the only player with a better bowling average than Cummins’ 22.43.
Scott Boland
Scott Boland, a late bloomer, has made up for lost time since his Test debut at the age of 32, going six for seven against England at the MCG.
After 13 Tests for Australia, his 17.66 bowling average is third all-time.
Alex Carey
Alex Carey, another player who had to wait his turn, was a great Australian rules footballer before deciding to pursue cricket.
Since breaking into the white-ball team in 2018, the wicket-keeper batsman has helped Australia win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup while also solidifying his place in the Test team.
Cameron Green
Cameron Green, who was first capped at the age of 21, is returning for the World Test Championship Final following a six-month absence due to back surgery.
He is an all-rounder who is currently only available as a batsman, however he scored an unbeaten 174 in his last Test match in New Zealand in 2024, leading Australia to win.
Josh Hazlewood
Along with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood has been a mainstay of the Australian fast-bowling attack for a decade.
A double ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup winner, his 279 Test wickets put him inside Australia’s all-time top 10, 11 years on from his first appearance with the Baggy Green.
Travis Head
Travis Head, Australia’s Mr Everything, has made significant contributions to his country in all formats of the game.
Head, a useful offspinner as well as a top-order hitter, was the hero as Australia won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023 with a century in the final, and he also scored a magnificent 163 in the World Test Championship Final the same year as India were defeated at The Oval.
Josh Inglis
Josh Inglis, who was born in Leeds, will play the World Test Championship final in his home nation.
The wicketkeeper made a strong start to his Test career against Sri Lanka earlier this year, striking a century in a 2-0 series win.
Usman Khawaja
The oldest player in the Australia squad, 38-year-old Usman Khawaja is now firmly established as an opener, having started his career batting at No.3.
The first player of Pakistani origin to represent Australia, he returns to Lord’s two years on from a crucial half-century in an Ashes victory over England.
Sam Konstas
At 19, Sam Konstas is half the age of his opening partner Usman Khawaja but showed no signs of youthful nerves when making his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last December.
An attacking batter by nature, his half-century in that MCG encounter was the third fastest ever by an Australian debutant.
Matt Kuhnemann
Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann has enjoyed plenty of success with the ball in his relatively short Test career, taking 25 wickets at an average of just over 22.
He has played all five of his Tests in sub-continental conditions as he stakes a claim to be Nathan Lyon’s long-term successor.
Marnus Labuschagne
Born in South Africa, Marnus Labuschagne moved to Australia at the age of 10 and has been a firm fixture in the No.3 spot for more than half a decade.
He is familiar with conditions in the UK, having played club cricket in England when he first broke through and more recently enjoying several stints with Glamorgan, including a two-match spell in the build-up to this year’s WTC Final.
Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon, one of only nine players in history to take 500 Test wickets, is closing in on Glenn McGrath as Australia’s second most prolific Test bowler.
Lyon, now 37, has not looked back since he removed Kumar Sangakkara with his debut ball in Test cricket in 2011.
Steve Smith
From leg-spinning all-rounder to one of the greatest batters ever to represent Australia, Steve Smith has had quite a journey over the past decade and a half.
Only Ricky Ponting has more Test centuries for Australia, while Smith’s batting average of 56.74 is second among players with 10,000 Test runs.
Mitchell Starc
Completing the trio of fast-bowling greats in the current Australia squad, Mitchell Starc is one of the most accomplished bowlers across all formats.
He holds the record for the fastest ball bowled in Test cricket, a 160.4kp/h rocket a decade ago, while he is fast approaching the 400-wicket club in Tests, good enough for third in the all-time Australian list.
Beau Webster
Beau Webster, a versatile all-rounder, has had a strong start to his international career, averaging 50 with the bat and 24 with the ball after three Tests.
He had an impressive debut against India in Sydney in January, scoring 57 and 39 not out in a six-wicket victory.
India
