Australia Announces 13-Member Squad for Test Series Against Bangladesh

Sydney. Australia's 13-member team has been announced for the two-match Test series to be held in August against Bangladesh.

Captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon have made a comeback in the team. These three players were out of the team due to injury in the last Test played in Sydney in January.

With their comeback, Michael Neser, who performed excellently in the last two Ashes Tests, has been dropped from the team. Neser, along with Todd Murphy and Brendan Doggett, has been kept as a reserve player for the series against Bangladesh.

Chief selector George Bailey has expressed happiness over the comeback of Cummins, Hazlewood, and Lyon. Bailey said, 'The national selection committee is excited about the comeback of Pat, Josh, and Nathan.' He said they have worked hard with the medical team in the past few months to recover from injuries.

With at least 20 Test matches to be played in the next 11 months, followed by the Ashes series in England, player workload management will be important. Usman Khawaja's retirement has left the No. 5 batting position vacant in the team. With Cameron Green and Beau Webster in the team, Green is likely to bat at No. 5.

Josh Inglis has been included in the team as a reserve batsman and wicketkeeper. Jake Weatherland will continue his partnership with Travis Head as an opener. Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith will bat at No. 3 and 4 respectively.

Fast bowler Scott Boland had played all five previous Ashes Tests. With the arrival of 35-year-old Hazlewood and Cummins, returning from a back injury, the selection of the final XI will be challenging for the selectors. 37-year-old Boland has taken 82 wickets in 19 Tests so far.

The team includes Pat Cummins (Captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherland, and Beau Webster.

These matches, to be held in Darwin and Mackay, will mark the beginning of Australia's long Test season.