Australia Playing 11 vs West Indies – 1st Test, 2024

Australia takes on West Indies in the first Test in Adelaide to be played from January 17-24. The Test match starts at 5 am IST across the five days. The Test series is a part of the WTC 2023-25 points table.

Australia will be without David Warner now in international cricket. After the Test series win over Pakistan, he announced his retirement from international cricket. However, he will be playing in franchise T20 cricket leagues.

Steve Smith has now been confirmed as the new Test opener for the national cricket team in Test matches. He will open the batting in this Test series. Smith’s overall experience in the format is something that the management has banked upon while choosing their next Test opener.

Cummins along with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood form the pace trio. They might just be tempted to field a 4-man pace attack with Scott Boland being the fourth pacer and Nathan Lyon the specialist spinner completing the five-man pace attack. Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green, and Travis Head are the other bowling options.

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Australia have included all their regular Test specialists for the series. Their squad almost looks similar to the one that played against Pakistan recently. In this article, we predict Australia’s playing XI for the Adelaide Test.

Australia Playing 11 vs West Indies – 1st Test, 2024

Steve Smith

Smith is all set to be Australia’s designated Test opener for their life after David Warner. The southpaw retired from Test cricket after the Test series win over Australia with Smith set to don a new role.

Usman Khawaja

Khawaja will open the batting along with Smith. He scored 220 runs in the three-match Test series at an average of 36.67. He has scored 25 fifties and 15 hundred in the format in 69 Test matches.

Marnus Labuschagne

Marnus Labuschagne will bat at number three. He has been a specialist in that number for Australia scoring tons of runs. Against Pakistan, he scored 207 runs at an average above 40.

Travis Head

Travis Head might slot in at four with Smith opening the batting. He has batted at number five in Test matches but can slot in at four. The southpaw gives Australia a spin option as well with his off-spin bowling.

Cameron Green

Green can be one specialist all-rounder in the middle-order. The Australian cricketing fraternity has spoken very highly of Green’s abilities. He can slot in at five.

Mitchell Marsh

Marsh is in very good form in Test matches off late. He can slot in at six. He top-scored in the Test series against Pakistan with 344 runs at an average of 86.00.

Alex Carey (WK)

Carey is Australia’s specialist keeper in Test matches. He played all three Test matches against Pakistan scoring 129 runs at an average of 32.25. He is inching closer to 1500 runs in the format.

Pat Cummins (C)

Cummins will slot in at eight. He is more of an all-rounder than just being a specialist pacer. He can add to the batting depth of Australia and finished with 19 wickets in the Test series against Pakistan.

Mitchell Starc

Starc will pair up with Cummins as the second pacer in the playing XI. He took 12 wickets in the series at an average of 26.08. He is three shy of 350 Test wickets for Australia.

Josh Hazlewood

Hazlewood is the third pacer in the XI. He has been a bit injury-prone off late but has recovered in between the Test matches. He is available to play the first Test. He is one short of 250 Test wickets.

Nathan Lyon

Lyon concludes the likely Australia XI for the first Test in Adelaide. He recently took 13 wickets against Pakistan and has picked up 509 wickets in 125 Test matches.

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