Australian captain Pat Cummins revealed the playing XI for the upcoming fourth Ashes Test against England on Tuesday. The team selection sees two alterations from the side that suffered a defeat to England in the third Test at Headingley. Scott Boland and Todd Murphy have been dropped, making way for Josh Hazlewood and Cameron Green.
While changes have been made to the bowling unit, the remaining nine players have retained their spots in the lineup.
“Josh will come in for Scott Boland, and the top order will stay the same,” Cummins said, while addressing the media ahead of the Old Trafford Test.
Notably, this match marks the first time in 11 years that an Australian men’s cricket team will take the field in a Test match without a specialist spinner. The last instance of such a selection occurred in January 2012 when Australia faced India at the WACA.
Despite being out of form, opener David Warner has been given another opportunity and will feature in the fourth Test. Warner struggled against Stuart Broad in the third Test, being dismissed for single figures in both innings. Nevertheless, the Australian team management has shown faith in his abilities and decided to retain him for the crucial encounter.
“Davey didn’t have his best game last week at Headingley, but prior to that, he has looked really good. He has had three 50-run (opening) partnerships, which can be rare over in England,” Cummins added.
“We back Davey, absolutely. We know how tough it can be to open over here. He’s doing all the right things, he’s shown some great signs and I’m sure a big score is just around the corner.”
The fourth Ashes Test is set to commence on Wednesday (July 19) at Old Trafford, Manchester. England, trailing the series 2-1, will be aiming for a victory to level the series. On the other hand, Australia only requires a draw to retain the urn. The upcoming match promises to be a highly anticipated and closely contested battle between the two fierce rivals.
