Australia has announced the squad for the fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025-26 series, which is scheduled to begin in Sydney on Saturday, January 3. The selectors are adamant on the same 15-man squad for the match to be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with Steve Smith taking charge of the team in the absence of Pat Cummins.
Australia lost to England by four wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The match finished over two days, and International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Jeff Crowe declared the pitch unsatisfactory after 36 wickets fell in the entire match. This was Australia’s first home Test defeat to England in 15 years.
Australia announces squad for fifth Test against England in Ashes 2025-26
Australia have shown confidence in their current group by retaining the same 15-man squad for the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The decision was confirmed on Thursday when Steve Smith and his teammates reconvened in Sydney for their first training session since last week’s defeat to England.
Pat Cummins missed the first two Ashes Tests against England due to a recurring lower back injury. The same issue had already ruled him out of several international matches, including the ODI series against India in Australia.
Cummins returned for the third Test at the Adelaide Oval and captained Australia. However, the team rested him for the next two Test matches to manage his workload and keep him fit ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, which is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka in February and March.
Squad for the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney:
Steve Smith (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendon Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.
The hosts face major selection challenges ahead of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney
The home team will take on the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney and despite announcing an unchanged squad, many selection questions are still open. Coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed that Usman Khawaja will be included in the batting lineup.
There has been debate regarding Cameron Green, who has struggled for runs throughout the series. Meanwhile, Beau Webster is set to rejoin the Test team in Sydney after featuring in the Big Bash. Despite impressive Test performances with both bat and ball, he has spent the series on the bench.
The quick turnaround from the Boxing Day Test has left Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland in good position to play again, but the selectors still need to finalize the XI with crucial World Test Championship points.
The home team was without a specialist spinner in the last match, but Todd Murphy could be in contention again. While the SCG has favored pace more than spin recently, Murphy could still play a role in the series finale.
Also read: Usman Khawaja retirement: Former England captain warns ‘don’t let him decide’ between Ashes 2025-26
