Melbourne, January 02: Usman Khawaja should get an opportunity to bat alongside stand-in captain Michael Clarke.
Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer will earn their first Test caps in the Ashes finale at the Sydney Cricket Ground after being named in the Australian XI by stand-in captain Michael Clarke.
New South Wales batsman Khawaja replaces injured skipper Ricky Ponting at number three in the line-up with Western Australia spinner Michael Beer picked as Australia’s only specialist tweaker.
Australia is desperate to draw the series after England’s crushing innings and 257-run victory in Melbourne put the tourists into an unassailable 2-1 lead and meant they would retain the Ashes.
Beer was picked in the squad for the third Test in Perth, but Australia ran with four-man pace attacks there and at the MCG instead of naming a specialist spinner.
Beer’s selection comes after an injury to Ryan Harris and means that called-up paceman Doug Bollinger will carry the drinks at his home ground.
Clarke said the Test match offered the opportunity for a new start after a disappointing 2010 that culminated in the loss of the Ashes on home soil.
“There’s been a lot of talking about the last month and not achieving the goals we set in India (last year),” he said.
Beer and Khawaja will have their caps presented by former Test players which is Clarke’s preference over making the presentations himself, something Ponting has done over the past few years.
Australia: Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Michael Clarke (c), Mike Hussey, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin (vc), Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Michael Beer. 12th man: Doug Bollinger.
——–Agencies