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The period for pre-Ashes banter and squad predictions is practically over after the Australian team revealed a 15-man squad to face the English side in the Perth Test. This extended lineup for the initial game points to the requirement for composed minds during the intense Ashes series, with the newcomer included for the maiden appearance instead of aggressive batsman Sam Konstas.

However with Marnus Labuschagne returning to form and the remaining inexperienced members being two pace backups, there is a recognizable feel to the squad even without injured captain Pat Cummins. Following is the way each player (listed in A-Z sequence) will face the Bazball bravado, with a star rating indicating their likely effect on the series starting on 21 November.

1. Sean Abbott

The experienced paceman is again relied upon as a back-up following being a consistent presence in the white-ball sides in the past few years. With the captain's comeback remaining unclear, and the remaining main attackers dealing with a tough schedule, the 33-year-old will want to sustain his strong performances to remain in consideration for a Test debut. ★☆☆☆☆

2. Scott Boland

Among the top seamer in the team has become a focus for England for his unflattering performances during the previous series as well as for his quiet personality off the pitch. However the veteran has claimed 62 wickets at an average of 16.53 – including a hat-trick in his last Test against the Caribbean side – without proving to be a threat at the top level and should welcome the uncommon opportunity to begin a campaign in the opener. ★★★☆☆

3. Alex Carey

The main gloveman is back in the intense atmosphere of an battle aiming to stand out with the batting and his keeping, as well as for his role in a unforgettable moment when dismissing the English batsman at the famous ground in 2023. The veteran is currently a considerably more confident batter whether required to lift the run-rate or guide the tail with a match-turning contribution. ★★★★☆

4. Brendan Doggett

The South Australia seamer has been on the periphery of the national team across recent Test series and is returning following claiming 33 wickets – including eleven in the final – at an average of a respectable figure in last summer’s Sheffield Shield. An international debut is now attainable as the captain is sidelined and the front-line fast bowlers get ready for a gruelling five-match series in seven weeks. ★☆☆☆☆

5. Cameron Green

The highly-touted player had been identified for the Test team from early in his career even amid fitness issues, and the time has come for him to deliver a significant impact to a crucial contest. The youngster was the standout of the batting batters while coming in at No 3 in difficult circumstances in the West Indies but could be preferred in the order to make sure he can also assist the pace attack. Whether he can feasibly be selected as a true bowling option in Perth, or might have to be trusted to deliver more spells later in the campaign, might be determined in the domestic round soon. ★★★☆☆

6. Josh Hazlewood

The accurate fast bowler is at the peak of his abilities after carrying the white-ball bowling and fine-tuning for the contest during matches against India. The 34-year-old’s consistent discipline, and touch of swing whether it be off the seam or swing, is bound to challenge the tourists’ aggressive method to scoring, with the enduring question whether he can feature in four or perhaps as many as five matches. ★★★★☆

Seventh. Travis Head

The aggressive batsman is crucial to the team's hopes of taking the game up to the opposition with his aggressive intent and tendency to clobber huge scores as the stakes increase. A couple of centuries against India last summer, and the same the previous occasion England toured for five Tests demonstrate his skills, while the player has a knack of taking a key dismissal with his part-time but underestimated spin bowling. ★★★★★

8. Josh Inglis

The back-up wicketkeeper in the team showed that he must additionally be viewed as a pure batsman when pummelling a hundred at better than a run-a-ball on his first appearance in the subcontinent. The 30-year-old is most comfortable batting in the middle of the innings though he has shown while captaining the team in white-ball games that he has the flexibility to come in earlier, which could fit a consistent position as the concussion substitute. ★★☆☆☆

9. Usman Khawaja

The seasoned keeps hanging on even amid calls for a changing of the guard at the opening position following strengthening his hold on the first wicket with a double century in the subcontinent recently. But after being one of many batsmen failing to handle India’s the paceman previously, the 38-year-old needs a positive start against England’s fast-bowling attack in what might be his farewell campaign to make sure he can make the call personally on the time to retire the baggy green. ★★☆☆☆

10. Marnus Labuschagne

The ex top-ranked batsman has left behind a dismal run and the disappointment of being omitted behind him to force his way back into the Australia squad – and surely the XI to play in Perth. His exceptional performance with five hundreds in his last eight innings could give the team management the assurance to back him to bat first if needed alongside Khawaja, although the batsman is probably to trouble England when batting at his preferred first-drop. ★★★★☆

11. Nathan Lyon

The spinner was as notable for his absence as his wicket-taking performances following a calf injury in the second match helped change the contest when Australia visited the UK in 2023. The veteran failed to deliver the domestic series he would have wanted against the Indian team with just nine wickets previously but recovered to be critical to Australia’s clean sweeps in the subcontinent and the Caribbean. ★★★☆☆

12. Steve Smith (captain)

The Australia batting great will take over to lead the team till C