24 hours before the WTC Final 2025, Australia have announced their playing XI shortly after South Africa. Marnus Labuschagne will be Australia’s new opener alongside Usman Khawaja. Cameron Green will return to No 3 after 16 months of absence. Green suffered a back injury that kept him out of action since September 2024. However, Scott Boland, Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with 21 scalps in six innings, misses out on a spot with Josh Hazlewood returning.
Hazlewood, who played only two Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, was an uncertainty for the WTC Final. The pacer missed the 2023 WTC Final against India with a calf injury. His selection was not guaranteed in the AUS vs SA final either, as he was recovering from a calf strain. He missed four matches in the IPL due to a shoulder injury. However, with 22 wickets in 12 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025, Hazlewood proved his fitness, leading the franchise to their maiden IPL title.
“I was quite close last time. But I feel in much better place this time around, and I think in any format, my numbers over the last two years have been pretty good, so I’ve got a lot to fall back on. Skill-wise, I still feel like I’m bowling the best I have in my career and it’s just a matter of the body holding up, which it has been in the last few months,” Josh Hazlewood was quoted by Cricket.com.au last week.
Australia Playing XI for WTC Final
1. Usman Khawaja, 2. Marnus Labuschagne, 3. Cameron Green, 4. Steve Smith, 5. Travis Head, 6. Beau Webster, 7. Alex Carey (wk), 8. Pat Cummins (c), 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Josh Hazlewood.
Marnus Labuschagne new opener
Since David Warner’s Test retirement, Australia have had a void in the opening spot. Australia have had four openers since then with Sam Konstas, Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Nathan McSweeney all giving auditions. Smith tried his luck, albeit unsuccessfully, against the West Indies and New Zealand while Konstas and McSweeney gave their auditions against India.
McSweeney averaged just 14.40 as an opener in three matches and lost his place. Konstas played two Tests against India as the opener and scored a half-century on Test debut. But the 19-year-old could not convince the Australia team management with scores of 8, 23 and 22 since his debut.
Now, Marnus Labuschagne, who has been struggling for form since the Pakistan series, will try out the opening spot. This is the first time that Labuschagne will open for Australia, having played at No 3 since 2019.
Australia’s opening gamble
| Player | Inns | Runs | Avg | Best | 50/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Smith | 8 | 171 | 28.5 | 91 | 0/1 |
| Sam Konstas | 4 | 113 | 28.25 | 60 | 1/0 |
| Travis Head | 8 | 321 | 45.85 | 90 | 2/0 |
| Nathan McSweeney | 6 | 72 | 14.4 | 39 | 0/0 |
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