Peter Siddle was left out of Australia’s playing 11 in favour of Josh Hazlewood for the first Test against New Zealand, set to begin on Thursday (November 5) at the Gabba in Brisbane.
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Australian captain Steve Smith said they cast their minds back even further to last summer’s second Gabba Test against India when they finalised their XI for the Kiwis.
David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (captain), Adam Voges, Mitch Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle (12th man).
It was at this venue that Hazlewood made his Test debut last summer, and although he suffered whole-body cramps in the heat on day one, he finished with five wickets in the first innings. The 26-year-old, who took over as full-time captain after Michael Clarke retired in the wake of the Ashes defeat, confirmed he would drop down a spot to play at number four in the batting order to make way for Usman Khawaja at first drop. He’s learned a lot from England. “He bowled extremely well in the last Test match at The Oval against England, but that’s the team we’ve gone with”, Smith said.
New Zealand has also settled on their side for the opening Test against Australia with Doug Bracewell grabbing the final pace berth on offer. “That was what I tried to do a year ago when I got the chance to captain”. Henry picked up eight wickets at 42.50 during this year’s Test series in England; Bracewell took five in his last Test, against Sri Lanka in Wellington in January, and was the decisive player with nine wickets in the win over Australia last time the teams met, in Hobart in 2011.
“Josh did a terrific job here previous year and I think he’ll complement both the left-armers really well”, Smith said.
“There is going to be extra pace and bounce on this wicket like we normally get”.
The Black Caps preferred Doug Bracewell to Matt Henry in their eleven.
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New Zealand team to play Australia: Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (c), Jimmy Neesham, BJ Watling (wk), Mark Craig, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Trent Boult. “It was obviously my longest run in a row in first-class cricket, let alone Test cricket and I think physically it probably got the better of me toward the back end of the (Ashes) series and my bowling probably showed that”, he told Cricket Australia earlier this week”.
