Ashes 2025-26: Australia Announce Playing XI for 1st Test, Smith to Lead; Weatherald & Doggett to Debut
Cricket Australia on Thursday named the playing XI for the first Ashes Test against England, which begins on Friday at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Steve Smith will lead the team in the opening Test as Pat Cummins is still recovering from his injury. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is also out after getting injured during training.
Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett have been selected for their first-ever Test match. Weatherald will open the batting with Usman Khawaja, while Doggett will join Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland in the pace attack.
A day earlier, England had announced a 12-member squad for the first Test. Their lineup includes Shoaib Bashir as the only spinner, along with four fast bowlers Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood.
Ashes 2025-26: Full Schedule
| Test | Dates | Venue | City | Start Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 21–25 Nov 2025 | Perth Stadium | Perth | 07:50 a.m. |
| 2nd Test | 4–8 Dec 2025 | The Gabba (Day/Night) | Brisbane | 09:30 a.m. |
| 3rd Test | 17–21 Dec 2025 | Adelaide Oval | Adelaide | 05:30 a.m. |
| 4th Test | 26–30 Dec 2025 | MCG | Melbourne | 05:00 a.m. |
| 5th Test | 4–8 Jan 2026 | SCG | Sydney | 05:00 a.m. |
Australia Playing XI
Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon.
