Australia has unveiled its playing XI for the opening Ashes Test against England, set to begin November 21 in Perth. With Pat Cummins sidelined due to injury, Steve Smith will captain the team for the first match.
Two Players Set to Debut
Fast bowler Brendan Doggett and batsman Jake Weatherald will make their Test debuts. Injuries to Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have opened the door for Doggett, 31, while Weatherald earns his first call-up to the national side.
Key Batting Return
Marnus Labuschagne will bat at number three, a position Smith described as crucial for the team’s balance.
“Marnus, when he’s batting at his best at number three, he makes us a very good cricket side,” Smith was quoted as saying during a press conference ahead of Australia vs England 1st Test in Ashes 2025/26.
“We couldn’t really leave him out after he came back and did exactly what was told of him.
“The way he’s batted in Shield and one-day cricket for Queensland in the last couple of weeks has been amazing, so when he’s batting well, he’s tough to leave out and hopefully he can bring that to the Test arena now.
Australia’s Playing XI for AUS vs ENG 1st Test: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland.
England’s playing XI for first Ashes Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood.
Ashes 2025-26 Schedule
1st Test: Nov 21 – Perth, 8:00 AM IST
2nd Test: Dec 4 – Brisbane, 9:30 AM IST
3rd Test: Dec 17 – Adelaide, 5:30 AM IST
4th Test: Dec 26 – Melbourne, 5:30 AM IST
5th Test: Jan 4 – Sydney, 5:30 AM IST
Head-to-Head Record
In 361 Tests between Australia and England:
Australia wins: 152
England wins: 112
Draws: 97
