Australia have named a 15-member squad for the fifth and final Ashes Test against England, set to begin on January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as confirmed by cricket.com.au. Steve Smith will continue to lead the side in the absence of Pat Cummins. The regular captain missed the opening two Tests of the series after failing to recover in time from a lower back injury. Cummins returned for the Adelaide Test, where he resumed captaincy and helped Australia secure the Ashes on home soil. However, the team management has now opted to rest the fast bowler for the remainder of the series.
The decision has been taken to carefully manage Cummins’ workload and ensure he remains fully fit ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Cummins has been named in Australia’s provisional squad for the global tournament. Usman Khawaja has also retained his place in the squad despite ongoing speculation surrounding his Test future. The 39-year-old began the series as Australia’s established opener but has endured a disrupted campaign. He was unable to bat in the second innings of the Perth Test due to back spasms, missed the Brisbane Test altogether, and was initially left out for Adelaide before being recalled to bat at number four following Steven Smith’s illness. In the fourth Test, Khawaja continued in the middle order alongside Travis Head and Jack Weatherald, scoring 29 in the first innings before being dismissed for a duck in the second. Across the series so far, he has accumulated 153 runs from three matches and five innings at an average of 30.60, with his only half-century coming in Adelaide.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. Australia head into the Sydney Test looking to respond after a four-wicket defeat to Ben Stokes’ England in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne.
