Perth, Nov 20 (IANS) Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett are set to make their Australian debuts in the opening Ashes Test at Perth Stadium, with Beau Webster dropping out of the final XI.

Cameron Green’s full return to bowling provided the final assurance selectors needed. Despite the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood prompting some thought of bolstering the attack, the panel opted to stick with four specialist bowlers, supported by Green’s all-round skills.

Marnus Labuschagne will slot back into his preferred No. 3 position after an outstanding start to the season with Queensland, while Nathan Lyon also comes back into the side after missing the day-night Test in Jamaica, where Australia selected an all-pace lineup.

This will be the first time since 2019 — when Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson debuted against Sri Lanka at the Gabba — that Australia hands two players their first caps in the same Test. It’s also the first occurrence in an Ashes match since Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer debuted at the SCG during the 2010–11 series.

Doggett’s inclusion, covering for the injured Hazlewood, is historically significant: Australia will field two Indigenous Test players in the same XI for the first time. The 31-year-old has been in strong form for South Australia since returning from a hamstring issue, collecting 13 wickets at 14.69.

Weatherald will become Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since David Warner retired in early 2024. On Thursday morning, he spent time visualising his innings in the middle at Perth Stadium before fitting in another session during Australia’s final optional training run.

Webster, who plays alongside Weatherald for Tasmania, is a hard-luck omission. Since debuting against India at the SCG earlier this year, he has scored four fifties in seven Tests under challenging conditions. Although he had two quiet matches in the Sheffield Shield, he picked up eight wickets for Tasmania against South Australia last week.

Australia’s reshuffled batting order returns Green to No. 6, the spot he occupied early in his Test career, following recent stints at No. 3 in the West Indies and No. 4 before the back injury that sidelined him last season.

Josh Inglis – set to feature for the CA XI against England Lions during the first Test – and Michael Neser are the other players to miss out from Australia’s 14-man 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.

–IANS

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