Australia won the toss in the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval and chose to bat first, backing the conditions under bright sunshine and a firm-looking surface. Captain Pat Cummins said the wicket “looks good” and explained that the decision was straightforward with no need to “get too funky” early on.
Cummins also confirmed a late change to the Australian XI, revealing that Steve Smith has been feeling unwell over the past couple of days. As a result, Usman Khawaja returns to the side and will bat at No. 4. “Preparation has been good,” Cummins added at the toss.
England captain Ben Stokes said he would have preferred to bat as well, noting that Adelaide generally offers good batting conditions. He also highlighted Josh Tongue’s inclusion, pointing to the pacer’s wicket-taking ability as a key reason for selection.
Playing XIs
Australia: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.
With Australia leading the series 2–0, the hosts will look to make early use of the conditions and put runs on the board on day one, while England aim to strike back with their pace-heavy attack.
