Adelaide, 16 December 2025:
Travis Head will remain at the top of Australia’s batting order for the third Ashes Test after selectors recalled captain Pat Cummins and frontline spinner Nathan Lyon, while insisting Usman Khawaja’s international career is not over despite his omission.
Cummins and Lyon return for Australia’s bid to clinch the Ashes at Adelaide Oval this week, but there was no place for Khawaja, who turns 39 on Thursday. Selectors instead stuck with Head and Jake Weatherald as openers following their recent success.
Australia named its XI on Tuesday, with Cummins reclaiming the captaincy from Steve Smith in his first competitive match in five months. The fast bowler has recovered from a bone stress injury that ruled him out at the start of the summer.
Australia XI: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.
Michael Neser was the unluckiest of Australia’s omissions after taking five wickets in the second innings of the eight-wicket win at the Gabba. Fellow seamer Brendan Doggett also made way as Lyon returned to the attack, leaving Cummins, Starc and Boland to form the pace trio. Josh Inglis retained his spot at No. 7, with Australia valuing his batting after his century on debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Cummins said Khawaja, who missed out after back spasms earlier in the series, remains firmly in contention.
“I think the selectors have been quite adamant we’re picking a side each week,” Cummins said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the same team as the previous week. We do that with the bowlers.
“One of Uzzie’s great strengths is he scores runs at the top and in the middle. If we didn’t think he’d be good enough to come straight in, he wouldn’t be here in the squad. So absolutely I can see a path back at some point if needed.”
Head and Weatherald were thrown together as openers in Perth last month and have prospered across Australia’s past three innings, prompting questions about a longer-term partnership. Cummins was cautious.
“At the moment it feels like it makes sense for now,” he said. “That might change. Each game you look at what you think the next week needs, but with the current line-up we’ve got plenty of flexibility.
“The big shift has probably been Trav opening after that first Test and how good that’s looked with ‘Weathers’. We were pretty happy with that batting line-up and didn’t feel a need to change the middle order.”
Smith was cleared to play after missing Australia’s main training session on Monday with a mild illness. He returned to the nets on Tuesday and continued batting despite taking a knock to the groin from a throwdown.
Australia fielded an all-seam attack in the second Test but opted to restore Lyon, tightening competition for bowling places. Doggett, who has taken seven wickets in his first two Tests, was another to miss out.
“It’s not only Uzzie,” Cummins said. “There’s Beau Webster who’s missed out these three Tests. ‘Ness’ is coming off a five-for, ‘Doggy’ played the first two Tests and did really well.
“There’s a disappointed group of players, but they’ve all been fantastic around the squad. We know we need a squad to win an Ashes series, and they’ve all been brilliant.”
