Australia Announces Playing 11 for the first Ashes Test, Debuts Handed to Weatherald and Doggett

The duo of Brendan Doggett & Jake Weatherald are all set to make their Test Crickket debut for Australia in the first test-match of the 2025 Ashes Series at Perth's iconic Optus Stadium, with all-rounder Beau Webster making way for them in the playing XI.

The full fitness-clearance of Cameron Green which allowed him to bowl gave the much-needed assurance to the Australian selectors to go ahead with a playing XI not featuring Webster. Depite the absence of premier fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood & skipper Pat Cummins which led to some thoughts of strenghthening the bowling attack, the George Bailey-led selection committee have decided to go ahead with only 4 specialist bowling options, suppirted by the all-round skills of Green.

Marnus Labuschagne will return to his preferred number 3 batting spot after having an outstanding outing with the bat in the Harris Shield for Queensland, while off-spinner Nathan Lyon also makes his return to the team after missing out on the pink-ball test match held in Jamaica versus the Windies, where the Aussies went ahead with a full fast-bowling attack.

Australia will give two players their maiden debuts in the same Test for the first time since 2019, when Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson made their debut at the Gabba against Sri Lanka.  Additionally, this is the first time it has happened in an Ashes match since Michael Beer and Usman Khawaja made their SCG debuts in the 2010–11 series.

The inclusion of Brendan Doggett in the team, covering up for the injured Josh Hazlewood, carries a lot of historic significans. 
Australia will field two Indigenous Test players in the same XI for the first time thanks to Doggett's participation as a stand-in for the injured Hazlewood.  After recovering from a hamstring injury, the 31-year-old has been playing well for South Australia, picking up 13 scalps at 14.63.

After David Warner's retirement at the beginning of twenty-four, Weatherald will become the 6th opening partner of Usman Khawaja in the longest format of the game. Before fitting in another session during Australia's last optional training run on Thursday morning, he spent some time in the middle of Perth Stadium visualizing his innings.

All-Rounder Beau Webster, who plays for Tasmania with Weatherald, is an unfortunate exclusion.  Under difficult circumstances, he has struck four fifties in seven Test matches since making his debut against India at the SCG earlier this year.  He had two quiet Sheffield Shield games, but last week he took eight wickets for Tasmania against South Australia.

The changed batting order of the 2023 WTC Champions sees Cameron Green return to the number six spot, the spot he prefers the most after he occupised it early on in his Test Cricket career, following recent appearences at number three & number four before suffering a back-injury which ruled him out of last year's cricket season.

Michael Neser & wicket-keeper batsman Josh Inglis are the other two notable absentees from the 14-player squad of the Kangaroos.

Australia's Playing XI for the opening Ashes Test-Match - Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Alex Carey (Wicket-Keeper), Usman Khawaja, Brendan Doggett, Steven Smith (Captain), Jake Weatherald, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland and Cameron Green.

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