Australia select Khawaja and Beer

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  • xman
    Admin
    • Sep 2006
    • 24007

    Australia select Khawaja and Beer

    Australia v England, fifth Ashes Test
    Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground Date: 3-7 January (starts 2330 GMT on 2 Jan) Coverage: Live on Test Match Special on BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW & online; TMS highlights online (UK only) and day's review on the TMS podcast; live text on BBC Sport website; live on Sky Sports 1; highlights on ITV4




    Australia have handed debuts to batsman Usman Khawaja and spinner Michael Beer for the fifth and final Ashes Test against England in Sydney.

    Khawaja, 24, is set to bat number three and slow left-armer Beer, 26, was chosen ahead of seamer Doug Bollinger.

    Michael Clarke is captain in place of the injured Ricky Ponting as Australia aim to level the series despite England having already retained the Ashes.

    "We still have so much to get out of this last Test," said Clarke.

    "The least we can do is show that Australian fight, which everyone in that dressing room has."

    The tourists need to win or draw the fifth Test to become the first England team in 24 years to claim a series in Australia.

    England outplayed Australia in heavy defeats in Adelaide and Melbourne to lead the series 2-1, while Australia won the third Perth Test and the first Brisbane Test was drawn.

    Beer has never played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and comes into the side with only seven first-class games to his name.

    He will become Australia's 10th Test spinner since the 2007 retirement of Shane Warne, but Clarke backed him to have a major impact.

    "We all made our debut (somewhere)," said the 29-year-old, who made 151 on his Test debut against India in 2004.

    "I made my debut in Bangalore and I'd never been to Bangalore before, never seen that change room, never played a game on that wicket. It's no different."

    Clarke suggested the atmosphere of a 46,000-capacity SCG and the backing of home support should be enough to lift Beer.

    The spinner is in his first full season with Western Australia after moving from Victoria, where he played club cricket.

    But after being 12th man for Australia in the Perth and Melbourne Tests, Clarke believes Beer has earned the opportunity to play at the highest level.

    "He's lucky enough to make his Test debut at the SCG in front of a full house," Clarke stated. "I think it's exciting.

    "He's been around the group for a couple of weeks now and dying for an opportunity. Now, he's got that.

    "On this pitch, which I think will certainly spin, definitely late in the game, I see him having a big impact."

    Since Warne, Australia have selected spinners Nathan Hauritz, Stuart MacGill, Brad Hogg, Jason Krejza, Cameron White, Beau Casson, Steven Smith, Bryce McGain and Xavier Doherty in Tests.



    Squads for the fifth Test in Sydney:

    England (from): Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matt Prior (wkt), Graeme Swann, Tim Bresnan, Chris Tremlett, James Anderson, Ajmal Shahzad, Steven Finn.

    Australia XI: Michael Clarke (captain), Philip Hughes, Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, Mike Hussey, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin (wkt), Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Michael Beer.

    Umpires: B Bowden (NZ) and A Dar (Pkn)

    Third umpire: T Hill (NZ)

    Match referee: R Madugalle (SL)



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