Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett will make their debuts for Australia in the Ashes opening at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Friday, November 21.
Australia will field several debutants in an Ashes Test for the first time since the 2010-11 New Year’s Test, when Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer received their first caps.
Stand-in Australian skipper Steve Smith stated that both players would make their Test debuts in the crucial first match. Weatherald will become Usman Khawaja’s sixth opening partner following David Warner’s retirement from red-ball cricket in January 2024.
All-rounder Beau Webster, on the other hand, would feel himself unlucky to miss out after playing seven straight games since his excellent debut against India last January.
Cameron Green is set to bowl in a Test match for Australia for the first time since having back surgery a little more than a year ago. His return to the bowling crease has effectively resulted to Webster’s dismissal. After taking over for Mitchell Marsh earlier this year, the latter served as Australia’s seam-bowling all-rounder in Tests. The 31-year-old had a 34.64 batting average and a 23.25 bowling average across seven Tests.
Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne, who was overlooked for the Test series against the West Indies, has returned to the squad. He will bat at his preferred No. 3 spot. Nathan Lyon, who was dropped for Australia’s Test against the West Indies in Jamaica because the former World Test Champions preferred an all-pace attack, has returned to the starting XI.
Australia has had ownership of the renowned urn since 2017. England, on the other hand, has not won an Ashes series in Australia since 2010–2011, when Andrew Strauss was captain. The Three Lions also won their final Test match in Australia during that series.
However, the impending Ashes promises to be an intriguing affair as many believe that this is the strongest England side to have been brought to Australia in recent years.
Australia XI for first Test: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (C), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (WK), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland.
India
