InMobi

Cummins names Aussie XI for opening Test against Windies

Australia make one change from previous Test as pace-heavy battery set to be unleashed on West Indies in Perth

Australia have sprung no surprises with their first XI of the NRMA Insurance Test summer with the hosts expecting a fast, bouncy Perth Stadium surface for their series opener against West Indies.

Captain Pat Cummins confirmed Scott Boland and Marcus Harris would be the two unused players from Australia's 13-man squad, with Mitchell Swepson dropping out of the side as the only change from the one that most recently played Test cricket in Sri Lanka.

Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are the fast bowlers, while spinner Nathan Lyon rounds out the front-line attack, while there are no changes to the top seven with allrounder Cameron Green to play his first Test in his home state.

"You probably could have picked it 12 months ago," said Cummins. "Everyone has done well to get them fit and firing for this series and we’re in a really good place. Easy decision."


Australia XI for first Test: Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon


The Australia skipper got his first look at the drop-in surface sporting a healthy tinge of green on Tuesday's match eve, with Cummins admitting he was none the wiser as to exactly how it might play.

A host of Australian players, along with coach Andrew McDonald also inspected the track while Cummins was doing his pre-match press conference on the outfield.

A forecast temperature of 33 degrees on Wednesday, before it cools later in the week, could accelerate the deterioration of the track.

"I don't really know what to expect, I can't really read wickets," said Cummins. "But it looks there's a bit of grass. It's hot today, hot first day (of the Test) so it might crack up. But no idea really."

Cummins indicated there was more grass left on it compared to the spicy surface used for the most recent match played at the venue, Australia's T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka last month.

"T20s and Big Bash games I've seen, it's always fast and bouncy when you come over here, which you'd hope for in Perth," said Cummins.

The Test will be the first red-ball match for Cummins and Starc since that Sri Lanka series, and a first since Pakistan in March for Hazlewood, with the trio then facing a white-ball heavy start to the home summer, including the T20 World Cup.

Batters David Warner and Steve Smith and allrounder Green have also not played first-class cricket since July.

Queensland Bulls pair Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and South Australian duo Travis Head and wicketkeeper Alex Carey as well as Lyon have all played Sheffield Shield cricket in the build-up to the Test summer.

Six players – Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc, Warner, Smith and Green – were part of Australia's World Cup campaign but Cummins insisted he had not found it overly difficult to adjust between formats despite a lack of long-form preparation.

The 29-year-old has only had three training sessions with the red ball and conceded he was a little "underdone", but stressed he is experienced enough to make a smooth transition.

"I had one (net session) in Sydney a couple of weeks ago and then and then two in the last couple of days, so it's been really good," he said.

"Centre wicket out there at the WACA (on Monday). Bowled about 10 overs out there one day, five or six the next and I think the more I play, the less I feel like I need to have in terms of getting ready.

'The best net session I've had in a very long time'

"It's funny, changing between formats can be hard. I think you get better the more you do it. In some way, red ball is about trying to get miles in your legs.

"Switching back to T20 sometimes takes more time. You've got different balls we want to try and practice – you might want to hit 50 yorkers and 50 slower balls and it all adds up.

"I don't mind coming in a little bit underdone leading to a series rather than overdone."

Windies and Aussie players will take the knee in an anti-racism stance before play on Wednesday, while both teams will also participate in a barefoot circle the respect the country's First Nations people.

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"We've done it (taken the knee) in different formats over the last two years. We obviously took the knee against them in the T20 series (in the Caribbean last year) so it's not new.

"It's something all the boys really respect and support. We'll do a barefoot circle here as well as our way to acknowledge the Indigenous land.

"Something like taking a knee this week, we're doing it out of respect for West Indies, in support of equality and anyone who says that's a bad thing, I'm not too bothered about." 

Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v West Indies

Nov 30 – Dec 4: First Test, Perth Stadium, 1:20pm AEDT

Dec 8-12: Second Test, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas

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