Australia have made two changes to their playing XI for the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, with Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon replacing Michael Neser and Brendon Doggett. Usman Khawaja has been left out as the selectors continue with the opening pair of Jake Weatherald and Travis Head.
Despite being fit and available, Khawaja has been overlooked. A veteran of 85 Tests, he has been one of Australia’s batting mainstays since 2022. However, his form with the bat this year and ongoing fitness issues have been points of concern. He did not open in the first Test, which gave Australia the opportunity to unleash Travis Head at the top of the order, and Head scored a memorable hundred to win the game for his team. For the next Test, Khawaja was deemed unfit to play, and now he has been ignored again. At 38, Khawaja is already at the fag end of his career, but Cummins feels the door is still open for the Queenslander to make a comeback.
“One of Uzzie’s great strengths is that he scores runs at the top,” Cummins said while speaking to reporters in Adelaide. “He’s scored runs in the middle. If we didn’t think he’d be good enough to come straight in, then he wouldn’t be here in the squad. So absolutely, I can see a path back at some point if needed.”
Cummins is set to play his first Test since the tour of the West Indies. After being dropped for the second Test, Lyon also makes a return.
Josh Inglis retains his place in the line-up as a specialist batter.
Australia XI: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
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