On the eve of the Sydney Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, Australia revealed their playing XI for the match. The hosts have left all-rounder Mitchell Marsh out of the squad after a string of poor performances.
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Marsh wasn’t in good touch throughout the last four Tests, both with the bat and ball. He accumulated 73 runs in seven innings at an average of 10.42, while he managed to pick only three wickets in six innings.
His numbers aren’t encouraging, and the Australian management conveyed the message to Marsh before dropping him from the squad.
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Beau Webster to Make Debut, Replaces Marsh
At the press conference before the Sydney Test, Australia captain Pat Cummins announced that Beau Webster will make his Test debut and replace Marsh in the squad.
“Mitchy, obviously hasn’t quite got the runs, or perhaps the wickets that he would have liked this series. So we felt like it was time for a freshening up, and Beau’s been with the squad,” Cummins said on Thursday.
Australia will hand the Baggy Green to Webster, making him the third player to make debut in the ongoing BGT series. The Tasmanin all-rounder makes it to the squad on the back of stellar performances in the Sheffield Shield.
In the 2023-24 Shield season, Webster amassed 938 runs and bagged 30 wickets. In the ongoing season, he averages 50.50 while netting 303 runs and has picked up nine scalps in four matches.
Webster also turned up for Australia A against India A before the BGT kicked off. In two games, he delivered notable performances, scoring 145 runs and taking seven wickets.
Plus, his first-class record is also remarkable, having amassed 5297 runs and grabbed 148 wickets in 93 matches.
Australia playing XI for the Sydney Test:
Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
Australia Squad for Sydney Test:
Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Alex Carey, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Beau Webster, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith.
