🔗 Share this article

The period for pre-Ashes talk and selection guesses is almost finished after the Australian team announced a 15-member squad to take on England in the Perth Test. The expanded group for the first match points to the requirement for composed heads during the fiery contest, with the newcomer selected for the first time instead of fiery batsman Sam Konstas.

Yet with the batsman hitting stride and the remaining new players being a pair of fast bowling backups, there is a sense of familiarity to the team even without injured captain Pat Cummins. Here is the way each player (presented in A-Z sequence) will tackle the Bazball approach, with a star rating indicating their potential effect on the series beginning on 21 November.

First. Sean Abbott

The experienced seamer is once more relied upon as a reserve after being a consistent member in the limited-overs teams in the past few years. With the captain's comeback remaining unclear, and the other main attackers dealing with a tough fixture list, the 33-year-old will hope to maintain his strong performances to remain in contention for a first Test cap. ★☆☆☆☆

Second. Scott Boland

Among the top pace bowler in Australia has emerged as a focus for the opposition for his moderate performances during the previous series as well as for his reserved nature away from the pitch. Yet the 36-year-old has not taken 62 wickets at an bowling average of 16.53 – including a hat-trick in his latest Test against West Indies – and has being a threat at this level and can welcome the uncommon chance to start a campaign in the opener. ★★★☆☆

3. Alex Carey

The first-choice gloveman is back in the simmering cauldron of an Ashes series looking to impress with the batting and his keeping, as well as for his role in a memorable moment when dismissing the English batsman at Lord's in the last series. The veteran is currently a considerably more confident batsman whether required to lift the run-rate or help steer the lower-order with a game-changing innings. ★★★★☆

4. Brendan Doggett

The South Australia paceman has been on the edges of the national team across the last few Test series and is returning following claiming a solid haul – including eleven in the last match – at an average of a respectable figure in last summer’s Sheffield Shield. An international debut is now attainable as the captain is sidelined and the key quicks get ready for a intense five Tests in seven weeks. ★☆☆☆☆

5. Cameron Green

The highly-touted player had been earmarked for the national side from an early stage in his career despite injury concerns, and the time has arrived for him to deliver a significant impact to a high-stakes series. The 26-year-old was the pick of the batting batters while coming in at No 3 in challenging conditions in the West Indies but could be selected lower down to make sure he can additionally assist the bowling unit. Whether he can realistically be selected as a true bowling option in the first Test, or may have to be trusted to deliver more spells during the campaign, might be decided in the Sheffield Shield round soon. ★★★☆☆

6. Josh Hazlewood

The consistent seamer is at the peak of his powers following carrying the limited-overs attack and preparing for the contest during games against India. The veteran’s consistent discipline, and touch of seam whether it be seam movement or in the air, is bound to challenge the tourists’ aggressive approach to batting, with the persistent question whether he can play four or maybe even all five Tests. ★★★★☆

Seventh. Travis Head

The devastating batter is critical to Australia’s chances of taking the game against the opposition with his positive intent and tendency to clobber massive scores as the stakes rise. A pair of hundreds against the Indian team recently, and the similar the previous occasion England toured for five Tests point to his skills, while the player has a ability of finding a breakthrough dismissal with his occasional but underestimated spin bowling. ★★★★★

8. Josh Inglis

The back-up wicketkeeper in the squad showed that he must additionally be viewed as a specialist batsman when hitting a century at better than a quick rate on his first appearance in the subcontinent. The player is most at home playing in the middle of the innings though he has demonstrated while captaining the team in white-ball games that he has the flexibility to bat higher up, which might fit a regular role as the concussion substitute. ★★☆☆☆

Ninth. Usman Khawaja

The veteran stays even amid calls for a changing of the guard at the top of the order following tightening his grip on the first wicket with a double ton in Sri Lanka recently. However following being one of many batsmen failing to handle the Indian the paceman previously, the 38-year-old requires a positive start against the English fast-bowling attack in what might be his farewell Test series to make sure he can make the call himself on when to hang up the cap. ★★☆☆☆

10. Marnus Labuschagne

The ex top-ranked batsman has left behind a dismal run and the disappointment of being dropped in the past to force his way back into the Australia squad – and certainly the playing eleven to feature in Perth. His exceptional performance with five centuries in his last eight innings might give the selectors the assurance to back him to open if required with Khawaja, although the 31-year-old is probably to trouble the opposition when playing at his favored number three. ★★★★☆

11. Nathan Lyon

The off-spinner was as notable for his absence as his dismissal performances after a calf injury in the second match contributed to turn the contest when Australia toured the UK in 2023. The 37-year-old did not have the domestic series he would have wanted against the Indian team with only a modest haul last summer but recovered to be critical to the team's clean sweeps in Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. ★★★☆☆

12. Steve Smith (captain)

The Australian star batsman will step in to lead the side until C