Cliff Notes – Weatherald and Doggett handed debuts in first Ashes Test
- Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett will make their Test debuts for Australia in the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium, with Beau Webster omitted from the squad.
- Cameron Green’s return to bowling has solidified the team’s bowling lineup, allowing selectors to opt for four frontline bowlers despite the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
Weatherald and Doggett handed debuts in first Ashes Test
Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett will debut for Australia in the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium with Beau Webster losing his place in the XI.
Cameron Green’s successful return to bowling had been a key final piece to the jigsaw. There had been a thought that the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood could still make the selectors consider additional bowling resources, but they have backed four frontline options supported by Green.
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Marnus Labuschagne will return to the side in his favoured No. 3 position after a prolific start to the season with Queensland while Nathan Lyon is also recalled having been left out in Jamaica when Australia fielded an all-pace attack in the day-night Test.
It will mark the first time since 2019, when Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson made their debuts against Sri Lanka at the Gabba, that Australia will hand out two new caps in the same Test and the first time in an Ashes encounter since Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer debuted at the SCG in the 2010-11 series.
Jake Weatherald chats to Marnus Labuschagne Getty Images
Doggett’s debut, as a replacement for the injured Hazlewood, means that Australia will field two Indigenous players in a Test XI for the first time. Doggett, 31, has been in excellent form for South Australia since returning from a hamstring injury earlier in the season with 13 wickets at 14.69
Weatherald, meanwhile, becomes Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since the retirement of David Warner in early 2024. On Thursday morning, Weatherald did some visualisation and shadow batting in the middle of Perth Stadium then had another hit during Australia’s final optional training session.
Webster, a team-mate of Weatherald with Tasmania, can count himself unlucky to lose his spot after making four half-centuries in seven Tests since his debut against India at the SCG earlier this year, all coming in tricky batting conditions. He had two lean outings in the Sheffield Shield but claimed eight wickets against South Australia last week.
The latest batting reshuffle sees Green drop back down to No. 6 where he began his Test career, having batted No. 3 in West Indies and at No. 4 before the back injury that ruled him out of last season.
Josh Inglis, who is expected to play for the CA XI against England Lions while the first Test is taking place, and Michael Neser are the other two players left out from Australia’s 14-player squad.
Australia XI for first Ashes Test
Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (capt), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett