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Australia have named an unchanged squad for the remainder of the Ashes as Cricket Australia (CA) have shown full faith in the current squad. The Aussies who lead the five-match Ashes series 1-0 are in a commanding position in the second Test at Adelaide. The news will be a welcome addition for the likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood as the two will rejoin the squad for the Boxing Day (December 26) encounter.
The team was in fabulous form in the opening Test at Brisbane as they defeated Joe Root’s England in four days. Skipper Cummins and Travis Head were in superb form for the Aussies as they both formed the foundation stone of Australia's win. Cummins though was forced to sit out of the second Test due to Covid-19 guidelines after he came in contact with a person who had contracted the virus, while Hazlewood was injured in the build-up to the pink-ball Test. In his absence, vice-captain Steve Smith took charge of the team as he captained Australia for the first time in three years since the sandpapergate scandal.
Australia have a travel day on Monday (December 21) and rest days on Tuesday and Wednesday. The team will hold a news conference on Thursday (December 23) after the squad assemble in the Victorian capital of Melbourne. Head Coach Justin Langer is expected to hold the press conference on the eve of Christmas. Captain Cummins and Hazlewood will both be available for the encounter at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) according to CA.
The Australian team will be under strict observation as per the Covid-19 protocols. The team will then travel to Sydney for the fourth Test while Hobart will be the venue for the fifth and final Test. The final Test was originally scheduled in Perth but was moved to Hobart on account of Covid-19 restrictions.
15-man Australian squad
Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
