Ashes 2017/18: Australia Announces Squad for First Two Tests
Nov 17, 2017 at 10:23 AM
It was last year when Australian selectors took a bold call and dropped six players from the Test squad after the debacle in the first two Test matches against South Africa at home, and this time, they have dropped another surprise by handing few unexpected call-ups to the old horses.
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The first on the list is Tim Paine, who has been chosen over regulars Matthew Wade and Peter Nevill – who was in contention for selection – for wicketkeeping duties. The comeback call has come after a lengthy period of seven years. He has donned the baggy green four times, with his last appearance coming against India in the year 2010.
The second on the list is Shaun Marsh, who had already made a case for himself with strong performances in the domestic cricket and the selectors were forced to give the left-handed batsman another go. He was not part of the squad for Bangladesh series after his poor run in India, and it looked like it was probably the last time when Marsh had played for the country, but the senior batsman has scripted history with another comeback,
“Shaun is playing very well at the moment, having scored consistently in the One-Day Cup and first three rounds of the Sheffield Shield competition. He is a versatile player who can slot in anywhere in the batting order and will add valuable experience to the batting line-up,” Trevor Hohns, the Chairman of selectors said backing the case of Marsh.
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Cameron Bancroft, the third surprise, has displaced Matt Renshaw from the opening position. Bancroft played an innings of 228*in the Sheffield Shield game against South Australia and passed the selection test with flying colours.
Renshaw had failed to cross the fifty run mark in last three first-class games, which saw him not getting considered for the Ashes opener,
“Cameron has been a player of interest to us for some time now, having been unlucky to miss out on the Test tour to Bangladesh that was cancelled in 2015. He is a very talented and tough cricketer who shows a good temperament for Test cricket. He has thoroughly earned and deserves his call-up following some outstanding performances in the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield competition this season,” Hohns further added.
Australian quicks Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, have made an expected comeback to the Test side. Pat Cummins, Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers are the other three pacers in the 13-member squad with Cummins set to be the third pacer in the XI with Starc and Hazlewood.
Hilton Cartwright, Ashton Agar, Steve’O Keefe and Glenn Maxwell are the four members to get omitted from the squad from Australia’s last Test tour to Bangladesh.
The Magellan Ashes series starts on November 23, with Gabba set to the host the series opener. England, the current holder of the urn, had flown to Australia 25 days before the start of the series and had played three practice matches, in the quest to assimilate to the conditions.
The biggest challenge for the Joe Root led side will be to rub off the memories of their previous disastrous tour to the country, where they lost the series by 5-0, surrendering to Mitchell Johnson. He bagged 37 wickets in the series and brought down England batsmen on their knees with his fiery bowling all throughout the series.
Australia Squad for first two Tests:
Steve Smith (C), David Warner (Vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (Wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.
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