Australia drops Beau Webster for first Ashes Test, Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald to debut
Steve Smith has conceded leaving Beau Webster out of the first Test was “very tricky” but necessary to open the door for Marnus Labuschagne to bat in his favoured No.3 spot.
Australia’s burning desire to pick an in-form Marnus Labuschagne at No. 3 was behind the “very tricky” decision to drop Beau Webster for the Ashes opener.
After months of speculation, the Aussies finally confirmed their XI for the first Test on match eve, with opener Jake Weatherald and paceman Brendan Doggett set to debut.
Labuschagne returns to the side at his preferred spot at first drop, while Cameron Green will shuffle back down the order to No. 6 after being cleared to bowl following back surgery last year.
The upshot is that - as revealed by Code Sports on Thursday - there was no room for Webster. The Tasmanian is widely considered to be desperately unlucky, having averaged better than 34 with the bat and sub-24 with the ball since making his Test debut in Sydney against India at the start of the year.
The strong run of Weatherald over 15 months of first-class cricket, combined with Green’s renewed capacity to bowl, are factors in Webster’s omission.
MORE CRICKET: WHY JOE ROOT IS CURSED IN AUSTRALIA
Perhaps more than anything though, Labuschagne’s run of centuries in domestic cricket to start the season meant the Australian selection panel did not want to flirt with his form by placing him alongside Usman Khawaja at the top of the order.
Stand-in captain Steve Smith conceded however that Webster was unlucky.
“Very tricky,” Smith said on Thursday.
“I think he’s come into international cricket and lit it up immediately. It’s a really tough one on him. But I think Marnus, when he’s batting at his best at No. 3 makes us a very, very good cricket side. And you know, we couldn’t really leave him out after he came back and did exactly what was (asked) of him, the way he’s batted in Shield cricket and one-day cricket for Queensland in the last couple of weeks has been amazing. So when he’s batting well tough to leave out, hopefully he can bring that to the Test arena now.
“And for Beau, obviously, he’s the one that misses out.”
Green started his Test career at No. 6 before variously being pushed to No. 7, No. 4 and No. 3 over the past two and ½ years.
However with the West Australian back bowling, Smith said a move down the order again was sensible.
“Greeny obviously played exceptionally well at three in some tough conditions in the West Indies, but with him bowling as well, and taking that load, we feel that six is a good position for him right now. It doesn’t mean in the future he’s not going to slide up the order, but for right now, number six suits this team.”
Smith also said he had been impressed by the net form of Weatherald, who will be backed to play his naturally up-tempo role as a foil to Khawaja.
“I watched him bat in the nets pretty closely the last few days, and they were pretty tricky nets. Fast, bouncy, and a lot of seam and he’s got a lot of courage. He just goes in there. I don’t think he faced any of the side arms or anything. He wants to face bowlers the entire time. And the guys were charging in bowling fast.
“He took it on. He was getting in really good positions. And he goes about it a certain way. He’s been selected for his performances over the last 18 months in particular, he’s batted exceptionally well at the top of the order for Tasmania, and hopefully he can bring that to the Test arena. I’m really excited for him. He’s worked hard for a long period of time. I think he’s going to complement (Khawaja) pretty well up top.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Australia drops Beau Webster for first Ashes Test, Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald to debut
Hilarious AI-inspired Noosa training camp to aid sorry Poms
