🔗 Share this article

The time for before the Ashes talk and selection speculation is practically over following the Australian team revealed a 15-player lineup to face England in the Perth Test. This extended group for the initial game points to the requirement for calm heads during the intense Ashes series, with Jake Weatherald selected for the maiden appearance in place of fiery opener Sam Konstas.

But with the batsman returning to form and the only other inexperienced members being two pace replacements, there is a recognizable feel to the selection despite the absence of unavailable skipper Pat Cummins. Here is how each member (listed in A-Z sequence) will confront the Bazball approach, with a rating out of five reflecting their possible influence on the series beginning on 21 November.

1. Sean Abbott

The veteran seamer is again trusted as a substitute following being a consistent presence in the white-ball sides in recent years. As Cummins's return remaining unclear, and the remaining main bowlers dealing with a gruelling fixture list, the veteran will hope to sustain his strong performances to remain in consideration for a Test debut. ★☆☆☆☆

Second. Scott Boland

A key fast bowler in Australia has become a focus for England for his modest performances during the previous series as much as for his calm demeanor away from the pitch. But the 36-year-old has claimed 62 wickets at an average of an impressive figure – featuring a hat-trick in his latest Test against West Indies – without proving to be a danger at international cricket and ought to embrace the rare opportunity to start a campaign in the first match. ★★★☆☆

3. Alex Carey

The preferred gloveman is back in the simmering cauldron of an battle looking to impress with the batting and his keeping, as well as for his involvement in a unforgettable moment when stumping the English batsman at Lord's in the last series. The veteran is currently a considerably more confident batsman whether required to score quickly or help steer the lower-order with a match-turning contribution. ★★★★☆

Fourth. Brendan Doggett

The South Australia fast bowler has been on the fringes of the national team during the last few matches and is returning following claiming 33 wickets – featuring eleven in the final – at an bowling average of 24.15 in last summer’s Sheffield Shield. An first appearance is currently within reach as Cummins is sidelined and the key quicks prepare for a demanding five Tests in a short period. ★☆☆☆☆

Fifth. Cameron Green

The acclaimed player had been identified for the national side from an early stage in his journey even amid injury concerns, and the moment has arrived for him to make a significant impact to a high-stakes contest. The youngster was the standout of the top-order players while batting at No 3 in challenging conditions in the West Indies but could be preferred lower down to make sure he can additionally assist the bowling unit. Whether Green can realistically be picked as a true all-rounder in the first Test, or might have to be relied upon to deliver bulk overs later in the campaign, could be determined in the Sheffield Shield match soon. ★★★☆☆

Sixth. Josh Hazlewood

The metronomic seamer is at the height of his powers after carrying the limited-overs bowling and preparing for the Ashes series during games against the Indian team. The 34-year-old’s consistent discipline, and touch of seam whether off the seam or in the air, is bound to challenge the tourists’ front foot method to batting, with the ongoing concern whether Hazlewood can play four or maybe as many as five Tests. ★★★★☆

Seventh. Travis Head

The aggressive batsman is crucial to the team's hopes of taking the game up to the opposition with his attacking intent and tendency to score big runs as the pressure increase. A pair of hundreds against India recently, and the same the last time England toured for five Tests point to his skills, while the 31-year-old has a ability of taking a key wicket with his occasional but underestimated off-spin. ★★★★★

8. Josh Inglis

The back-up wicketkeeper in the squad demonstrated that he should additionally be considered as a specialist batsman when pummelling a hundred at more than a run-a-ball 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 white-ball matches that he has the flexibility to come in higher up, which could fit a regular role as the replacement. ★★☆☆☆

9. Usman Khawaja

The veteran keeps hanging on despite calls for a transition at the top of the order after tightening his hold on the first wicket with a double ton in the subcontinent earlier this year. But after being one of many batters failing to handle the Indian Jasprit Bumrah last summer, the veteran needs a good beginning against England’s fast-bowling cartel in what could be his farewell campaign to make sure he can make the call himself on the time to retire the cap. ★★☆☆☆

Tenth. Marnus Labuschagne

The ex No 1-ranked Test batter has put a poor run and the indignity of being dropped in the past to force his way back into the national team – and certainly the XI to feature in the first Test. Labuschagne blistering form with five centuries in his last eight innings could give the selectors the assurance to back him to open if needed with Khawaja, though the batsman is more likely to trouble the opposition when playing at his preferred number three. ★★★★☆

Eleventh. Nathan Lyon

The off-spinner was as famous for his absence as his dismissal efforts following a calf injury in the second Ashes Test helped change the series when Australia visited England in 2023. The veteran did not have the domestic series he hoped for against the Indian team with just nine wickets last summer but recovered to be critical to the team's series sweeps in Sri Lanka and the West Indies. ★★★☆☆

12. Steve Smith (captain)

The Australian batting great will step in to lead the team until C