NEWS
Follow UsPat Cummins will return to lead a strong Australian side in the first Test against South Africa starting Saturday, December 17, at the Brisbane Cricket Ground.
The skipper of the Aussie outfit missed the last Test match against West Indies in Adelaide due to a quadricep strain and has recovered well to replace Michael Neser as the only change to the playing XI.
Scott Boland holds onto his place in the side and will form a formidable bowling unit along with Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green and Nathan Lyon.
The wicket at the Gabba is expected to be a green top and is expected to aid the fast bowling units of both sides.
"A couple of the boys said it's similar to what they've seen here in the past. It looks like there's a bit of grass. So we'll see how it looks tomorrow," Cummins said, as quoted by cricket.com.au.
"They'll give it a final cut. It always looks pretty green here a couple of days out, then on the morning of day one, it looks a bit different," he further added.
The visiting side have fiery pacers in their arsenal, with Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, and Lungi Ngidi set to feature in the playing XI.
"It looks like they've got a pretty well-rounded attack. Whether they play four or five bowlers, they've got a good spinner, a left-arm- they're going to be a challenge.
"Jansen is just that point of difference. I've never faced him, and I think a few of the guys have faced him in T20 cricket. It just presents a different challenge. Visually they look a bit different as well, and we've certainly been thinking about that this week," he concluded.
Australia XI:
David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (Captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
