The time for before the Ashes banter and squad speculation is nearly over after Australia revealed a 15-player team to take on the English side in the first Test. The expanded lineup for the initial game points to the necessity for cool minds during the heated battle, with Jake Weatherald included for the first time in place of aggressive opener Sam Konstas.
However with Marnus Labuschagne hitting stride and the only other new members being a pair of pace reserves, there is a recognizable feel to the selection even without injured skipper Pat Cummins. Following is the way each player (listed in alphabetical order) will face the Bazball bravado, with a star rating indicating their possible impact on the series starting on 21 November.
1. Sean Abbott
The veteran fast bowler is once again selected as a substitute following being a regular member in the white-ball teams in recent years. With the captain's comeback remaining uncertain, and the other main bowlers dealing with a gruelling schedule, the veteran will want to sustain his recent success to remain in contention for a Test debut. ★☆☆☆☆
2. Scott Boland
A key fast bowler in the team has turned into a target for the opposition for his modest performances during the previous series as much as for his reserved personality away from the field. Yet the 36-year-old has claimed a significant haul at an bowling average of an impressive figure – featuring a hat-trick in his last Test against the Caribbean side – and has proving to be a danger at the top level and should seize the rare chance to begin a series in the first match. ★★★☆☆
Third. Alex Carey
The first-choice wicketkeeper is back in the simmering atmosphere of an battle hoping to stand out with the batting and his keeping, as much as for his involvement in a unforgettable incident when stumping Jonny Bairstow at the famous ground in the last series. The veteran is currently a much more composed batter whether needed to lift the run-rate or help steer the lower-order with a game-changing contribution. ★★★★☆
Fourth. Brendan Doggett
The state fast bowler has been on the fringes of the national team during recent Test series and is returning after taking 33 wickets – including eleven in the last match – at an bowling average of 24.15 in the previous domestic competition. An Test cap is currently within reach while the captain is injured and the key fast bowlers get ready for a demanding five Tests in seven weeks. ★☆☆☆☆
5. Cameron Green
The promising player had been targeted for the Test team from an early stage in his career despite fitness issues, and the time has come for him to deliver a major impact to a pivotal contest. The 26-year-old was the best of the top-order batters while batting at No 3 in challenging conditions in the Caribbean but could be selected in the order to make sure he can additionally support the pace attack. Whether he can feasibly be selected as a true bowling option in Perth, or might have to be relied upon to bowl bulk overs during the campaign, might be determined in the domestic match this week. ★★★☆☆
Sixth. Josh Hazlewood
The metronomic pace bowler is at the peak of his powers after carrying the white-ball bowling and preparing for the contest during games against India. The veteran’s reliable line and length, and touch of swing whether it be off the seam or swing, is certain to challenge the tourists’ front foot approach to scoring, with the enduring question whether he can feature in four or maybe as many as all five matches. ★★★★☆
7. Travis Head
The aggressive batsman is critical to Australia’s chances of taking the game against the opposition with his attacking approach and propensity to hit big runs as the pressure increase. A pair of centuries against India recently, and the same the last time England visited for five Tests highlight his talents, while the player has a ability of taking a breakthrough wicket with his occasional but underestimated off-spin. ★★★★★
8. Josh Inglis
The second wicketkeeper in the squad showed that he must also be viewed as a specialist batter when pummelling a century at more than a quick rate on his first appearance in the subcontinent. The player is most at home batting in the middle of the innings although he has demonstrated while leading the team in limited-overs matches that he has the flexibility to bat earlier, which might fit a regular role as the concussion substitute. ★★☆☆☆
Ninth. Usman Khawaja
The veteran keeps hanging on despite calls for a changing of the guard at the opening position following strengthening his hold on the first wicket with a double ton in the subcontinent earlier this year. But after being one of many batsmen failing to handle the Indian Jasprit Bumrah last summer, the veteran needs a positive beginning against the English pace attack in what might be his final Test series to make sure he can decide himself on the time to hang up the baggy green. ★★☆☆☆
10. Marnus Labuschagne
The former No 1-ranked batsman has put a dismal form and the disappointment of being dropped in the past to force his way again into the national team – and surely the XI to feature in Perth. His exceptional form with five hundreds in his last eight knocks might give the selectors the confidence to back him to bat first if required with Khawaja, although the batsman is more likely to worry the opposition when batting at his favored number three. ★★★★☆
11. Nathan Lyon
The off-spinner became as notable for his absence as his wicket-taking efforts after a calf injury in the second match helped change the contest when the team toured the UK in the last series. The veteran failed to deliver the home campaign he would have wanted against the Indian team with only a modest haul last summer but recovered to be vital to Australia’s series sweeps in Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. ★★★☆☆
12. Steve Smith (captain)
The Australia star batsman will step in to lead the team till C
