Hazlewood Gets the Nod as Australia Reveal First Test XI

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-08-13

### Hazlewood Gets the Nod as Australia Reveal First Test XI Australia have confirmed an unchanged pace attack for the opening Test against Bangladesh in Darwin, with Josh Hazlewood retaining his place ahead of Scott Boland. Captain Pat Cummins announced the line-up a day before the match, marking the return of Test cricket to Darwin after a gap of 22 years. This will be the first time Australia's first-choice pace trio has played together since their tour of the West Indies more than a year ago. It's a selection that raises a few eyebrows, but the logic is pretty straightforward. The selectors clearly value what Hazlewood brings to the table, even after such a long spell on the sidelines. Let's break down what this means for the team and why they've gone this route. ### Hazlewood Returns After Long Injury Layoff Hazlewood hasn't featured in international cricket since October last year, having sat out the entire Ashes series with injury. Cummins himself played only one match against England during that period, his sole Test appearance since the West Indies tour. That's a long time between drinks for both of them, so getting this trio back together is a big deal. Explaining the decision to pick Hazlewood over Boland, Cummins said the coaching staff and selectors were confident about including Nathan Lyon and then worked out the composition of the pace attack around him. He acknowledged that leaving out Boland was a difficult call, noting his quality, and added that more cricket lies ahead where he will get his chance soon. Alongside Boland, wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis is the other player from the squad who misses out on the XI. It's never easy telling a world-class bowler like Boland that he's not in the side. But with a busy schedule coming up, you can bet he'll get plenty of opportunities down the track. For now, the selectors are banking on Hazlewood's experience and pinpoint accuracy to lead the attack. ### Lyon Back After Hamstring Injury Nathan Lyon also returns to the side after a hamstring injury cut short his Ashes campaign in Adelaide. The spinner had been dropped for two day-night Tests last year before playing a central role in Adelaide, where his bowling helped Australia seal the Ashes just before he got hurt. Cummins praised Lyon's current form, saying he had reviewed footage from that Adelaide Test and rated it among the best spells Lyon has bowled in years. He pointed out that the timing of the injury was unfortunate, but credited Lyon for the effort he has put into his rehabilitation over the past six months, training daily and pushing for this opportunity. Cummins said Lyon looks in excellent shape and is bowling well, adding that having him back adds real value for the team. Lyon's return is massive for this Australian side. He's the kind of bowler who can tie up an end and create pressure from the first ball. With the pace attack firing on all cylinders, having a world-class spinner in the mix gives the captain plenty of options. ### Middle Order Settled, Bangladesh Yet to Confirm Line-up Australia's batting order sees Jake Weatherald open alongside Travis Head, continuing the pairing they built during the Ashes series. Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith follow at three and four, while Cameron Green and Beau Webster slot in around wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the middle order. Carey had said he would be open to batting higher up the order, but Cummins confirmed he will continue at number six. The captain explained that Carey has won matches for Australia from that position and that pairing him with Webster at six and seven works well for the team balance. He added that Green suits the number five role and gives the side more flexibility, even though Carey's batting ability would justify a higher slot. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has not revealed his XI yet, citing a few fitness concerns within the squad. He confirmed, however, that Litton Das has recovered and will be available for selection. That's good news for the visitors, who will need all their firepower to compete against a full-strength Australian attack. ### Australia XI for First Test vs Bangladesh - Jake Weatherald - Travis Head - Marnus Labuschagne - Steven Smith - Cameron Green - Alex Carey (wk) - Beau Webster - Mitchell Starc - Pat Cummins (capt) - Nathan Lyon - Josh Hazlewood It's a settled-looking side, and you can see the logic behind every pick. The pace attack is as good as any in the world, the batting order is stacked with experience, and Lyon adds that extra dimension with the ball. Bangladesh will have their work cut out for them, but they've shown before that they can compete on their day. For more cricket news and updates, check out the latest posts on the JeetWin blog.