Opener Jake Weatherald is set to join fast bowler Brendan Doggett in debuting for Australia in the Ashes opener in Perth.
While Doggett was a near-certainty to play after Josh Hazlewood was ruled out due to a hamstring injury, Australia were weighing up whether to pick Weatherald or use Marnus Labuschagne at the top.
But the Northern Territory-raised Weatherald will become Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since David Warner retired from Test cricket in January 2024. It means Weatherald’s Tasmania teammate Beau Webster misses out, dropped after playing seven Tests since his remarkable debut against India in January.
Stand-in captain Steve Smith will confirm the team at his pre-match press conference after training at Perth Stadium on Thursday. It will be the first time since Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson came in to face Sri Lanka in January 2019 that Australia have blooded two debutants in the same Test.
After being dropped for the tour of the Caribbean following a lean run, Labuschagne is back following his outstanding start to the summer for Queensland. Green, who had pushed up to No 3 since his return from a serious back injury, will go back to No 6 where he started his Test career.
But Green looms as Australia’s long-term No 4 when Smith ends his illustrious Test career in coming years. The 26-year-old has only just returned to bowling after playing as a batter-only in his four Tests this year.
England on Wednesday named a 12-man squad for the first Test, picking both speedsters Jofra Archer and Mark Wood as they aim to capitalise on a traditional pacy and bouncy pitch in Perth.
England captain Ben Stokes will also address the media on Thursday after Smith speaks in what shapes as the closest Ashes series in Australia for more than 40 years.
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Australia XI: Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett.
