Australia have announced their 15-man squad for the fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025–26, to be played in Sydney from 4 January. After sealing the series with a 3-1 lead, the hosts named an unchanged team for the final Test.
With regular captain Pat Cummins rested for the remainder of the Ashes series, Steve Smith will continue to lead the side. Cummins, who missed the opening two Tests with a lower back injury, returned to captain Australia at the Adelaide Oval where the team secured victory to retain the Ashes. However, management has now decided to rest Cummins to manage his workload and ensure remains fit for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
Seasoned batsman Usman Khawaja retained his place in the lineup despite continued speculation surrounding his Test future. Khawaja started the series as an opener but has since been moved to the middle order, with Travis Head excelling at the top of the order. In three matches, he scored 153 runs at an average of 30.60, with a top score of 50 at Adelaide. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has all but confirmed that the veteran batsman will be part of the playing eleven in Sydney.
Uncertainty still surrounds Cameron Green’s place after a difficult series with the bat as he is yet to register a half-century. Meanwhile, Beau Webster will rejoin the Test squad in Sydney after a brief appearance in the Big Bash League for the Hobart Hurricanes.
“We know there’s a quality player sitting there waiting. We’ve got a batting order that we’d like to think can perform at a higher capacity, so we’ll have conversations leading up to Sydney,” McDonald said, according to cricket.com.au.
Australia, meanwhile, will be looking to end the series on a high after suffering a rare home defeat to England for the first time in nearly 15 years. They lead 3-1 in the five-game series and will aim to finish with a score of 4-1.
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.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
January 1, 2026
