With skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon included in a 13-man team for the two-match series in Darwin and Mackay in August, Australia’s top players are all fit to return for the Test series against Bangladesh.
The unfortunate Michael Neser, who played in three of the five Ashes Tests, including the most recent two, and did a fantastic job, is replaced by Cummins, Hazlewood, and Lyon, who were all injured for Australia’s most recent Test in Sydney in January. Despite not playing, Todd Murphy and Brendan Doggett were members of the Sydney team. For the two-Test series against Bangladesh, those two and Neser are on standby.
With a potential World Test Championship final to be added in early June, the series marks the beginning of at least 20 Test matches in 11 months leading up to the conclusion of the Ashes in England next year. “Pat, Josh, and Nathan’s return is anticipated by the NSP [national selection panel],” stated national selector George Bailey.
“They have worked extremely hard, individually and with the SSSM [sports science, sports medicine] teams, over the past few months to return from their respective injuries. “Although this is a 13-man roster, we have players ready and available in case any changes are needed in the run-up to these games. As said before, several players will probably have more opportunities in all forms due to the amount of cricket played and the schedule for the upcoming year.
Australia’s XI now has a place at No. 5 thanks to Usman Khawaja’s retirement from Test cricket, but the selectors haven’t added a new batting player to the squad. Beau Webster and Cameron Green, who played together in Australia’s most recent Test at Nos. 7 and 8, respectively, are destined to stay together, with Green probably moving up to No. 5 ahead of Webster and Alex Carey.
Josh Inglis, a specialist hitter who participated in two Ashes Tests last summer in Brisbane and Adelaide, has been picked as the team’s backup batter and wicketkeeper.
Jake Weatherald will continue his relationship with Travis Head, which produced four half-century stands during the Ashes, as opener. The 31-year-old, who averaged 22.33 for the Ashes in his first 10 Test innings, will be eager for a significant score in one of the two Tests.
“There were moments in that [Ashes] series where we liked the combination of what Jake and Travis were able to bring and what that looked like as a collective, and then also individually what Jake at his best looked like within that series,” Bailey stated. Marnus Labuschagne has been kept at No. 3, while Steven Smith is locked in at No. 4. “So hopefully we do see some growth out of that and some understanding of what it takes for success at Test level.”
Selectors will have to make a difficult choice over Scott Boland, who participated in all five Ashes Tests with the unstoppable Mitchell Starc, in light of Hazlewood’s return. Due to hamstring and Achilles problems, Hazlewood, 35, missed the entire series. In four of the previous five summers, he has been injured in his first Test or first-class match.
He missed the remainder of the 2021–2022 season due to a side strain sustained during the first Ashes Test in Brisbane. He missed the next two Tests in 2022–2023 after suffering another side strain during the first Test of the summer. After his first Test match in January 2023, he developed Achilles problems and was sent home from the Indian tour without playing a single Test.
Before experiencing yet another side strain in the opening game of the 2024–25 summer season against India, he was able to play nine consecutive Tests in 2023–2024. He made a comeback for the third Test in Brisbane, but early in the match, he hurt his calf.
He played three Tests against the West Indies in the Caribbean and four consecutive Tests last winter, including the WTC final against South Africa. However, he sustained a hamstring strain in his first Sheffield Shield match prior to the first Ashes Test last summer. He subsequently missed the rest of the series and the T20 World Cup due to persistent Achilles problems despite attempting to comeback.
Due to a back injury sustained during the Ashes’ victory in Adelaide last July, Cummins has only played one game for Australia.
Lyon sustained a severe hamstring injury during that game, necessitating surgery.
Boland, 37, has 82 Test wickets at 18.58 from 19 outings and hasn’t missed a Test due to injury in entire time.Regarding how the quicks will be handled, Bailey stated, “I think the unknowns are how much workload they have within certain Test matches or within certain series.”
“Conditions obviously play a factor at different times as well across the 21 Tests and the various differences we’ll face across those as well. “We anticipate that over the course of the 21 Tests, new names and lineups will appear at different times, but we won’t be making as many predictions about which games they will miss. That will also be somewhat determined by the circumstances and, I suppose, the results.”
Bangladesh versus Australia’s Test team
Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
