The final Test of the Ashes has begun in Sydney with tributes flowing for Usman Khawaja and a selection call that breaks more than a century of convention at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
As Khawaja prepares for his farewell Test, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the batter’s influence beyond the scorebook, writing: “Thank you Usman for everything you’ve done for Australia on the field and everything you’ve meant to Australians off the field. You can be proud of your record, your legacy and the example you have set for everyone who will follow in your footsteps.”
Khawaja, who announced last week that the Sydney Test would be the last of his international career, walks out at the ground where he debuted in 2011 and where he watched cricket as a child after migrating to Australia. His exit frames the series finale, even as attention quickly turned to Australia’s unexpected team balance.
Australia have opted to play the SCG Test without a frontline spinner, leaving out Todd Murphy and recalling Beau Webster for his first match of the summer. It is a move unseen at this venue since 1888, when the game bore little resemblance to the modern Test arena. England won the toss on Sunday morning and chose to bat on a green-tinged surface, a decision that underlined Australia’s reading of conditions.
Captain Steve Smith said the surface had forced the selectors’ hand. “Hate doing it,” he said at the toss. “But if we keep producing wickets that we don’t think are going to spin and seam is going to play a big part and cracks are going to play a big part, you kind of get pushed into a corner.”
Webster replaces Jhye Richardson as the only change from the side beaten by four wickets in Melbourne, giving Australia five pace options, with Webster offering off-spin if required. Cameron Green’s return to bowling earlier in the summer had narrowed Webster’s opportunities, despite strong returns across his first seven Tests after debuting at this ground last year.
Australia’s selection deepens the batting, with Michael Neser listed at nine and Mitchell Starc at 10, following useful contributions from the lower order earlier in the series. England have again chosen to go without a frontline spinner, leaving Shoaib Bashir without a Test appearance on tour. Their sole change sees Matthew Potts replace the injured Gus Atkinson for his Ashes debut.
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