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Updated December 5th, 2021 at 11:20 IST

Ashes 2021: Australia announce Playing XI for tournament opener, Starc retains his spot

Australian captain Pat Cummins on Sunday released the names of the eleven men he will deploy against England in the first match of the high-octane Ashes series.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
Ashes, Australia, David Warner, Marcus Harris, England vs Australia, Pat Cummins, Ashes 2021 squad, Ashes squad, Ashes playing 11, Steve Smith, Paine
Image: cricket.com.au | Image:self
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Australian captain Pat Cummins on Sunday released the names of the eleven men he will deploy against England in the first match of the high-octane Ashes series. When announcing the starting XI for the opening match, Cummins noted it was a "tight one" between Travis Head and Usman Khawaja, with the former eventually winning the race to bat at No. 5. David Warner, Steve Smith, Marcus Harris, and Marnus Labuschagne, Australia's top-order hitters, have all retained their respective spots in Cummins' XI.

Cummins will have Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood to choose from in the bowling attack, while Alex Carey will take over as wicketkeeper in the absence of Tim Paine, who withdrew from the bilateral competition late last month following the sexting scandal that also saw him relinquish his captaincy. Cummins was appointed the new captain of the Australian Test team with Steve Smith as his deputy. 

Australia's Playing XI: Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (vice-captain), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

The opening match of the Ashes series is scheduled to begin on December 8 at the iconic Gabba Stadium. The second Test match will be played from December 16 to December 20 at the Adelaide Oval. For the Boxing Day Test match from December 26 to December 30, Australia and England will travel to Melbourne to play at the MCG. The fourth game of the series will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 5 to January 9. The fifth and final Test is slated to be held at the Optus Stadium in Perth from January 14 to January 18. 

Ashes 2021 Full Schedule

  • 1st Test match at The Gabba, Brisbane from December 8 to December 12
  • 2nd Test match at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide from December 16 to December 20
  • 3rd Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne from December 26 to December 30
  • 4th Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney from January 5 to January 9, 2022
  • 5th Test match at the Optus Stadium, Perth from January 14 to January 18

Image: cricket.com.au

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Published December 5th, 2021 at 10:15 IST

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