Australia will hand baggy green caps to opening batter Jake Weatherald and pace bowler Brendan Doggett in the first Ashes Test against England in Perth on Friday, marking the first time since January 2019 that two players have debuted in the same match.
Steve Smith, standing in as captain for the injured Pat Cummins, announced the squad at a press conference, confirming Weatherald as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner and Doggett as a replacement for Josh Hazlewood. Scott Boland will also return, filling in for Cummins in a pace attack that includes veteran Mitchell Starc.
Weatherald, 31, will make his Test debut with a first-class average of 37.47, and he becomes Khawaja’s sixth opening partner in 15 Tests since David Warner retired.
His selection follows Cameron Green’s recovery from a spinal injury, allowing Weatherald to join as a specialist opener. Smith expressed confidence in Weatherald’s ability to complement Khawaja and bring his recent domestic form to the international stage.
Doggett, also 31, has been a consistent performer for Queensland and South Australia and debuts after injuries sidelined Hazlewood and uncapped Ashes squad member Sean Abbott. His inclusion alongside Boland means Australia will field two Indigenous players in a Test side for the first time. Smith praised Doggett’s skill and improvement over recent years, expressing excitement about his debut.
England captain Ben Stokes acknowledged the challenge of beating a strong Australian side on home soil, but stressed his team’s determination to “write our own history” in Australia.
England has named a 12-man squad for the first Test and will confirm the final XI at the toss, with paceman Mark Wood’s fitness and wicket conditions likely to influence the decision.
The Ashes series will continue across Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. Australia’s XI includes Khawaja, Weatherald, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Carey, Lyon, Starc, Boland, and Doggett, while England’s squad features Stokes, Archer, Atkinson, Bashir, Brook, Carse, Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Jamie Smith, and Wood.
