The Australian broadcaster Fox Sports tweeted Shane Warne’s XI for the first Ashes test match starting next Wednesday and a couple of players that the legendary leg spinner has selected in his XI might be slightly surprising names for a few of the fans.
Alex Carey is in line to play his first test match with Tim Paine having taken a break, but Warne thinks Josh Inglis would have been a better bet than Carey, going into the Gabba test because of the first class form that the youngster has shown in the recent past and also, the overall development he has shown as a batsman.
As far as Alex Carey is concerned, he was seen as a natural successor to Paine a year back, but the way Inglis has burst onto the scene and given the fact that he is rated as a better allround batsman as compared to Carey who is believed to be suited more for bouncy conditions, Inglis has now become the first choice of many people including Warne.
Jhye Richardson features in Shane Warne’s XI ahead of Mitchell Starc
The right arm fast bowler Jhye Richardson has also been picked in Shane Warne’s XI ahead of Mitchell Starc and it’s something that a couple of other pundits have advocated as well. Jhye has been a consistent first class performer in the past too, but this season, he just seems to be ready for test cricket and since, he can swing the new ball upfront, he can be an ideal replacement for Starc who has lost his touch a little bit in red ball cricket.
Warne is in the favor of Usman Khawaja being kept out of the XI for the first test match and Marcus Harris opening the batting with David Warner after having a stellar county season in the English summer, although Khawaja also has a couple of big knocks to his name this Australian summer. Before Warne, Ian Chappell had also expressed his reservations about Khawaja being picked and given another opportunity in the upcoming Ashes.
Marcus Harris was a part of the Australian squad for the last Ashes series and had played 3 test matches without crossing the score of 20 even once. The left hander had averaged less than 10 and was dismissed by Stuart Broad thrice with the new ball. With Broad all set to take the new ball for England in the upcoming Ashes as well, Harris, if selected, will have his task cut out against the England stalwart.
Here is Shane Warne’s XI that Fox Sports tweeted earlier today –
Is Warnie on the money here❓
ASHES DAILY ⚱🗞 https://t.co/MntTUNcC6F pic.twitter.com/EMGvp5nkYH
Advertisement— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 1, 2021
