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Ricky Ponting picks new faces, Weatherald, Doggett in his playing XI for first Ashes Test

Soumyajit Dutta

Ricky Ponting [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]Ricky Ponting [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is as amped up as the series, which is set to begin on November 21. Ahead of the high-profile clash. 

Ricky Ponting suggested his preferred playing XI for Australia to field in the first Test against England, where he backed Jake Weatherald for a Test debut and Brendan Doggett for the pace attack as well. 

Ponting suggests Australia's Playing XI for 1st Test

Building up to the Ashes, Australia had been battling injuries, with marquee pacers Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins ruled out of the first Test. Factoring that into the team balance and combinations, Ponting’s choice for Australia’s XI featured fresh faces with a solid pace lineup. 

Ricky Ponting also backed Marnus Labuschagne for number three, lauding his ability to contribute consistently whenever needed, with Ponting’s playing XI laid out. 

“I feel that Australia's best team has Jake Weatherald opening the batting along with (Usman) Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne at three. He’s (Labuschagne) done absolutely everything that's been asked of him over the last month, scoring hundreds at will, coming back into the side at No.3. Steve Smith (at) four, Travis Head (at) five, Cameron Green (at) six, Carey (at) seven. With (Scott) Boland, (Mitchell) Starc, probably Doggett gets the nod ahead of Michael Neser and Nathan Lyon, who was always going to play anyway, I think that will be Australia's team,” Ponting told host Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review.

Ricky Ponting's Playing XI:

Jake Weatherald, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Brendan Doggett, Nathan Lyon

Ponting weighs in the selection dilemma 

The former skipper pointed out how Australia had trouble with selection ahead of the Ashes. Ponting further pointed out that if someone had asked him to make the playing XI a week ago, it would have been completely different before injuries ruled the star players out. 

“If you had asked me this (to pick the XI) a week ago, my thoughts might have been slightly different. So a week ago, I felt that they were going to play Jake Weatherald as the opener and Labuschagne at No.3 and that Doggett would probably just come in, Boland comes in the absence of Pat Cummins. But now things could be different," Ponting added.

Ponting also shared that there might be some trouble covering all the bases for all-rounders and hence a Beau Webster option could be weighed in.

"Do they now think that they might need some more bowling cover as far as the all-rounders are concerned? Do they now think they might need Beau Webster to be in that side as well," Ponting concluded.

Nevertheless, the five-match Test affair is set to begin at Perth’s Optus Stadium in Western Australia, with the last one slated for January 4 in Sydney.