Australia have announced their 15-man team for the Ashes 2025–26 fifth and final Test, which will take place in Sydney starting on January 4. The hosts have selected the same team for the final Test after securing the series with a 3-1 lead.
Steve Smith will continue to lead the team as regular captain Pat Cummins is rested for the rest of the Ashes series. After missing the first two Test matches due to a lower back injury, Cummins returned to captain Australia at the Adelaide Oval, where the side won and retained the Ashes.
To control his workload and make sure he stays fit for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, the management has chosen to give Cummins a break.
Despite continuous rumors over his Test future, veteran batsman Usman Khawaja has kept his spot in the team. Travis Head is doing well at the top of the order, while Khawaja, who started the series as an opener, has since been moved to the middle order.
In three games, Khawaja has amassed 153 runs at an average of 30.60, with his maximum score of 50 coming in Adelaide. The seasoned batter will be in the starting lineup in Sydney, according to Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald.
After a challenging batting series, Cameron Green’s future remains uncertain since he has yet to score a half-century. Beau Webster, who briefly played for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League, is scheduled to return to the Test team in Sydney.
“We know we’ve got a quality player sitting there waiting. We’ve got a batting order that we’d like to think can function at a higher capacity, so we’ll be having conversations leading into Sydney,” McDonald was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
After losing to England at home for the first time in nearly 15 years, Australia will be hoping to finish the series on a positive note. Leading the five-match series 3-1, the Aussies will try to finish with a 4-1 scoreline.
Australia squad for fifth Ashes Test: Steve Smith (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
