Pat Cummins announces team for first Ashes Test against England as Australia attempts to win its first series on enemy soil since 2001
Australia have announced their team for the first Ashes test against England at Edgbaston, with Pat Cummins making a major call in the bowling department.
The Aussies arrive in Edgbaston hoping to end this five-match series with a victory on enemy soil for the first time since 2001, and are in good fettle having defeated India last week to win the World Test Championship.
While most of his team is settled, Cummins has agonised over his bowling selection, with Josh Hazlewood’s return from injury causing a headache for the skipper after Scott Boland’s masterful performance against India.
In the end, Cummins elected to choose both bowlers, with fast man Mitchell Starc making way for Hazlewood, while Boland kept his place.
Hazlewood has been contending with an injury issue but will be called to action straight away after Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat first in Birmingham.
Mitchell Starc has been dropped for the first Ashes Test against England
Pat Cummins announced the change at the coin toss on Friday morning in Birmingham
Starc’s omission will give England a boost, with the fast bowler dismissing Rory Burns with the very first ball of the 2021-2022 series Down Under, which the Aussies won comfortably 4-0.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson
Australia: Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood
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