Australia have finally announced their playing XI for the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India. Notably the last between India and Australia is slated to start from January 3, 2025 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Meanwhile, Australia have made massive changes in their playing XI for the final showdown in Sydney as they have dropped their star player Mitchell Marsh and replaced him with Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster, who will be making his debut in Sydney.
Australia's playing XI for Sydney Test against India announced
On a positive note for Australia captain Cummins also confirmed that their premier pacer Mitchell Starc has been declared fit to play the final Test. Starc had been battling back issue in Melbourne but bravely bowled 16 overs in the second innings without any noticeable dip in pace. However, he managed to take only one wicket but Australia ended up winning the Boxing Day Test against India by 184 runs to lead the five-match series 2-1
Talking about Mitchell Marsh's replacement Beau Webster, he arrives in the team with an impressive domestic record. He was the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last season, amassing 938 runs, a testament to his batting prowess. Webster's abilities extend beyond batting, as evidenced by his recent one-day performance against Western Australia where he claimed six wickets for just 17 runs.
The decision to drop Marsh was confirmed by Australian captain Cummins at a press conference held on the eve of the Sydney Test. Marsh endured a difficult series with the bat, scoring only 73 runs across four Tests at a dismal average of 10.42. His contributions with the ball were also inconsistent, prompting the selectors to make a change.
“One change. ‘Marshy’ misses out and Beau Webster is debuting. Mitchy hasn’t quite got the runs or the wickets that perhaps he would have liked in this series. It felt like it was time for a freshen up, and Beau has been with the squad and has been great. It’s a shame for Mitchy because we know how much he brings to the team, but we felt now’s a good week for Beau to get a chance,” Cummins said in the pre-match press conference on January 2.
Australia's Playing XI for 5th Test against India
Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.