Australia's selectors have placed their faith in specialist roles, unveiling a settled XI for the highly anticipated first Ashes Test against England, commencing this Friday. The key decision involved dropping allrounder Beau Webster to solidify the batting order, making room for the returning Marnus Labuschagne.
New Faces and Familiar Places
The team announcement brings exciting news for South Australia, with Jake Weatherald set to make his Test debut at the top of the order. Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne reclaims his favoured No.3 position following a dominant run of form in the Sheffield Shield this summer. His return has a cascading effect on the line-up, pushing Cameron Green down to the No.6 slot.
This reshuffle reinforces Green's role as a primary bowling option and ultimately leaves no space for the unfortunate Beau Webster. Webster, who impressed with the bat since his debut last January and contributed handy wickets, is considered a tough omission.
Bowling Attack Takes Shape
The bowling department also features a fresh cap, with Sheffield Shield-winning paceman Brendan Doggett earning his debut. He comes into the side as a direct replacement for the injured Josh Hazlewood. As widely anticipated, Scott Boland steps in to lead the attack in place of the unavailable Pat Cummins.
Several factors influenced the final composition of the team. The most significant domino was Cameron Green's successful return to bowling in the weeks leading up to the Test. Labuschagne's compelling case for a recall at first drop was built on a mountain of Shield runs, despite a brief and unsuccessful experiment as an opener earlier this year.
For debutant Jake Weatherald, selection is a reward for consistency over recent seasons, edging out the dropped Sam Konstas. The 31-year-old, however, enters the Test arena seeking to find his best form, having not scored a fifty in his last four innings.
England's Final Call Pending
Across the pitch, England has taken a different approach, naming a 12-man squad on Wednesday. Their final XI will be confirmed closer to the toss, leaving Australia to ponder several potent possibilities. The visitors could unleash a fearsome pace duo of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, while spinner Shoaib Bashir also remains in contention.
AUSTRALIA XI: Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (capt), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland.
ENGLAND SQUAD: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse.
