Australian Test team state of play before 2026-27 summer of cricket, selection analysis, 43 players in the mix for Aussie selection, opening batters, bowlers, latest news

Last week’s announcement of Cricket Australia’s men’s 2026/27 contract list provided a glimpse at what the Test side could look like next summer.

But despite Australia’s recent success in the five-day format, headlined by an Ashes triumph and a 3-0 series whitewash against the West Indies, only seven players are guaranteed to keep their spot in the Test starting XI.

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Australia’s next red-ball assignment is August’s two-match series against Bangladesh in the Top End, the start of a gruelling ten-month window that features 20 Tests, potentially 21 if Pat Cummins’ men qualify for the World Test Championship final.

And with the 2025/26 home summer drawing to a close, Fox Cricket has taken a look at every player that could make a Test appearance across the next 18 months.

OPENERS

Courtesy of his Ashes heroics, Travis Head has cemented his spot at the top of the order for the foreseeable future.

The decision to elevate the South Australian to opener for November’s series opener against England in Perth proved a masterstroke, with the national selectors accidentally unearthing a like-for-like replacement for the retired David Warner.

However, the identity of Head’s opening partner is anything but a certainty.

Off the back of an impressive 18 months in the Sheffield Shield, Jake Weatherald made his Test debut during the recent Ashes campaign, hitting a maiden half-century during a pink-ball contest at the Gabba.

However, the Tasmanian finished the blockbuster series with a disappointing average of 22.33 after England’s fast bowlers exposed an apparent flaw— his front pad.

Weatherald averaged 40.14 during the summer’s Sheffield Shield, the highest figure among batters that scored at least 500 runs, while he recently commenced his maiden County Championship campaign with Leicestershire, top-scoring on debut with a rapid 83. Runs in the United Kingdom would no doubt boost his chances of featuring in next year’s Ashes squad.

The left-hander seemingly earned the backing of the national selectors with a maiden CA contract last week, but George Bailey emphasised his inclusion was “an indication, not a guarantee”. There’s plenty of water to go under the bridge until August.

If the Australian selectors decide to move on from Weatherald at some stage next season, Matthew Renshaw would be front of the queue for the vacancy.

The Queenslander, who recently notched a few impressive performances in the national white-ball side, was the only batter to register three Sheffield Shield hundreds this summer, while unlike many of the other domestic candidates, he already has a Test century to his name.

However, since returning from the T20 World Cup campaign in the subcontinent, Renshaw posted scores of 31, 4, 10 and 29 in the Sheffield Shield, potentially damaging his chance of a Test recall.

Elsewhere, young gun Sam Konstas was understandably dropped from the national contract list after his disappointing Frank-Worrell Trophy campaign in the Caribbean, missing selection for the Ashes. Although he was New South Wales’ leading run-scorer of the 2025/26 Sheffield Shield, including a century against Queensland in December, his average of 33.00 left a lot to be desired.

Bailey acknowledged that towards the back-end of the summer, Konstas repeatedly managed to survive probing new-ball spells, the hardest part of being an opener, but failed to convert his promising starts into substantial scores.

“We can take some positives out of the fact he was getting consistent starts across those Shield games,” Bailey said.

“Would he have liked to have gone on and scored some big runs out of that? No doubt. But he remains a player that we’re incredibly interested in.”

Victorian opening duo Campbell Kellaway and Sam Harper also turned heads with glimpses of excellence in this summer’s Sheffield Shield, but lacked consistency.

MIDDLE ORDER

Incredibly, there are only two locks in Australia’s Test middle order at the moment – vice-captain Steve Smith and wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Aside from that powerhouse duo, there are a bunch of question marks.

One of the biggest concerns in Australia’s Test side is No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne, whose ongoing struggles in the red-ball formats have created massive headaches for the national selectors. The Queenslander hasn’t scored a Test century in three years, averaging 26.61 since the start of the 2023/24 season.

Labuschagne was justifiably dropped during last year’s tour of the West Indies, but earned a recall for the Ashes courtesy of some blistering domestic form. However, he has accumulated 447 first-class runs at 22.35 since the end of October, once again putting his position in jeopardy.

Thankfully for Labuschagne, nobody is bashing the door down for his spot in the Test side, with the leading candidates – Victoria’s Peter Handscomb and New South Wales’ Kurtis Patterson – both averaging in the mid-thirties during this summer’s Sheffield Shield. However, slotting Renshaw in at No. 3 could also be an option.

Handscomb and Patterson both have a decade’s worth of first-class cricket under their belts, while they’ve already reached triple figures in the Test arena. But in an already ageing squad, the national selectors might be reluctant to recall players in their mid-thirties.

Another problem in Australia’s middle order is all-rounder Cameron Green, whose recent challenges in the international arena are well-documented. The West Australian has failed to live up to his potential across all three formats, while his output during the recent Ashes series was nothing short of woeful.

However, the retirement of veteran Usman Khawaja has created a vacancy at No. 5 in the Test side, a spot Green would love to make his own. He has the makings of a modern great, but runs are currency, and he’s been afforded plenty of chances.

Green finished his home summer with a century during Western Australia’s final Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales in Sydney, a knock that should give him a boost of confidence, while he’s been retained in the national contract list. But the performance was overshadowed by his outburst during an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald’s Tom Decent, an incident that only provided a worrying glimpse at his current mindset.

“Our duty at the moment is to lend support remotely and get him ready for what’s coming up for Australia,” national coach Andrew McDonald said of Green while speaking to SEN last week.

“He hasn’t really nailed it in an Australian summer, but he’s made two centuries overseas. He’s got that century against New Zealand (in 2024). He’s made a hundred in India (in 2023). He did really, really well in the West Indies.

“I think he’s good enough. We’ll see the journey out with him.

“To me, it’s only a matter of time before that connects into Test cricket.

“There is an expectation around all-rounders, that they contribute in a certain way. And it’s almost like they want them to average 45 with the bat and average less than 30 with the ball, and there have been very few that do that.

“I’m sure that his career will trend upwards. He’s good enough, and he’s just got to balance out all those expectations.”

Australia had the opposite problem with fellow all-rounder Beau Webster this summer; the Tasmanian was in excellent form but there wasn’t room for him in the Test starting XI until the Ashes finale in Sydney.

Since making his international debut at the start of last year, the Tasmanian has hardly put a foot wrong in the Test arena, averaging 41.09 with the bat and 24.54 with the ball. With Carey expected to keep his spot at No. 6 next season, the promotion could open the door for him at No. 7 in the national side.

Webster’s versatility could also be valuable when Australia tours India for next summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy; capable of batting anywhere from No. 3 to No. 9, he can contribute seamers or off-spin pending the conditions, balancing out the starting XI.

And with Khawaja stepping away from international cricket, it would be difficult to justify dropping Webster for the Bangladesh Tests.

But which other batters else could squeeze into the Australia side next summer?

Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis played three matches during the recent Ashes as a specialist batter, but he has failed to seize his opportunities in the national side since cracking a century on Test debut in Sri Lanka last year.

Victorian young gun Ollie Peake has been rightfully touted as a player for the future, but the 19-year-old does not have enough first-class runs under his belt to justify selection.

South Australian all-rounder Liam Scott, named player of this season’s Sheffield Shield, could be considered for the No. 7 spot in the Test team, with the likes of Blues captain Jack Edwards and Victorian skipper Will Sutherland also pushing for higher honours. However, they’ve not done enough to justify squeezing Webster out of the starting XI.

Fresh off consecutive Sheffield Shield triumphs, South Australian captain Nathan McSweeney has already received a taste of Test cricket, playing three matches during last summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy after being elevated to opener, a decision that backfired dramatically. He only averaged 28.05 during this season’s Sheffield Shield, meaning a recall at the moment seems unlikely in the immediate future.

FAST BOWLERS

This summer’s Ashes series served as a cautionary tale. Australia’s bowling attack may be the best in a generation, but they’re worryingly susceptible to injury.

Josh Hazlewood, who missed all five Tests against England and the T20 World Cup campaign, has time and time again been let down by his body, while captain Pat Cummins also had his summer derailed by a back concern.

Incredibly, speedster Mitchell Starc has played 27 consecutive Tests since the 2023 Ashes, not missing a game during that period. He’s a warrior, leading Australia’s pace attack during the recent home summer and rightfully earning player of the series honours.

Elsewhere, Victorian veteran Scott Boland has done a superb job in Hazlewood’s absence since his unforgettable Test debut in 2021.

However, the pace quartet are vulnerable. Hazlewood, Starc and Boland are each approaching the twilight of their international careers, with a period of transition on the horizon.

And with Australia slated to play 20 Tests next summer, bowler rotation will no doubt be a necessity, with the national selectors set to once again call upon reinforcements.

“When you look ahead at that schedule over the next 12-18 months, it’s incredibly busy and we know we’re going to have to utilise some depth outside of the contracted list,” Bailey said.

The British media was popping champagne bottles when Cummins and Hazlewood were struck down with injury this summer, but seamers Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser made England’s batters look foolish during the Ashes, demonstrating the depth of Australia’s bowling stocks. They were both awarded with national contracts last week, suggesting they’re next in line for Test duties.

The duo replaced speedsters Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson on the national contract list, with the West Australian pair’s recent injury setbacks forcing the reshuffle. Both have spent countless hours in the casualty ward over the last few years, with their lack of red-ball cricket an ongoing problem.

Richardson made his long-awaited return to the Test arena during December’s Boxing Day Ashes contest at the MCG, and the national selectors would no doubt be eager to call upon his services again next summer.

“I think Jhye did an incredible job to get back to play that Test,” Bailey said.

“(He’s) still got a little bit of work to do just to get back to top ball speed and that intensity of being able to be in an attack with three quicks. But hopefully that’ll build over time.”

Elsewhere, Blues seamer Sean Abbott would have made his Test debut during the Ashes if not for November’s untimely hamstring injury, which ruined his baggy green dream. A regular in Australia’s white-ball teams, he still wouldn’t be far off Test selection, but having recently celebrated his 34th birthday, time isn’t on his side.

Uncapped seamer Xavier Bartlett is on the national contract list, while quicks Riley Meredith and Spencer Johnson would be considered for a Test debut if the Australian selectors wanted bowlers capable of repeatedly exceeding 140km/h.

But next year’s Ashes tour of the United Kingdom opens the door for some of the Sheffield Shield’s nibblers to earn a Test call-up.

Victoria’s Fergus O’Neill boasts an exceptional Sheffield Shield record, averaging 19.89 with the ball at first-class level, while he has prior red-ball experience in the United Kingdom, representing eventual champions Nottinghamshire in the County Championship last season.

Nathan McAndrew, player of the recent Sheffield Shield final in Melbourne, has arguably been the country’s most consistent domestic player since he migrated to South Australia in 2021, a move that revived his professional career, while state teammate Henry Thornton has also been impressive with ball in hand.

Elsewhere, Blues seamer Liam Hatcher was the leading wicket-taker of this summer’s Sheffield Shield with 44 scalps, a breakout season for the right-armer, but he couldn’t help New South Wales qualify for the final.

SPINNERS

For the second time in three years, Nathan Lyon missed the second half of an Ashes series due to an injury sustained in the outfield.

The veteran off-spinner has been Australia’s first-choice Test tweaker for nearly 13 years, but he won’t be around forever – and just like the fast bowlers, he’s not immune from long-term injury setbacks. He turns 39 this year, and Bailey warned that “there’s not necessarily the capacity (for Lyon) to play big blocks of games”.

“It’s just being a little bit aware that’s a possibility,” he said.

With that in mind, Australia has kept an eye on the future by awarding Todd Murphy with a national contract, indicating the spectacled off-spinner remains Lyon’s heir apparent.

The Victorian was added to Australia’s Ashes squad following Lyon’s hamstring injury in Adelaide, but controversially missed selection for the New Year’s Test at the SCG in spin-friendly conditions.

Although the snub raised eyebrows at the time, Bailey guaranteed that Murphy would be a vital member of the Test squad for upcoming tours of India and England.

“(Murphy) was really close to playing in Sydney. We like the skill set that he brings,“ Bailey said.

“India, we know we’re going to need the spin depth. England, we know we’re going to need some spin depth.”

Fellow spinner Matthew Kuhnemann also earned a national contract, while he’s essentially a lock for next summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy and any other upcoming Test tours of the subcontinent. However, he’s further down the pecking order for home matches.

The only player putting pressure on Murphy is West Australian tweaker Corey Rocchiccioli, comfortably the most prolific spinner in the Sheffield Shield over the last five years. The 28-year-old was rewarded with a couple of Australia A appearances last year, but it remains to be seen whether he’s done enough to earn a maiden Test call-up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

If the national selectors wanted a wrist spinner for the India tour, Queensland’s Mitchell Swepson would be at the front of the queue. Not only does he boast prior Test experience, but he has remained a threat on Sheffield Shield wickets that offer little assistance for spinners.

Blues leggie Tanveer Sangha would also enter the conversation, although he’s widely considered more of a white-ball prospect in the national side, while Adam Zampa’s lack of Sheffield Shield cricket means a Test debut remains unlikely, but not out of the question.

Elsewhere, rising star Cooper Connolly could earn another Test call-up for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, having made his debut during last year’s red-ball tour of Sri Lanka. Not only would the West Australian extend the batting depth in the starting XI, but Kuhnemann’s recent success proves the value of left-armed tweakers in the subcontinent.

While he boasts the right skill set, the national selectors would no doubt like to see the 22-year-old produce some match-winning performances in the Sheffield Shield next summer.