Ashes 2025-26: Australia name squad for SCG Test amid talks of Khawaja retirement

Usman Khawaja (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images for Cricket Australia)

Cricket Australia unveiled the squad for the fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025-26, which will be played at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground from Sunday, January 4. The Australian side will once again be led by Steven Smith, as Pat Cummins continues to keep himself off the side, as part of his workload management. Essentially, the squad remains the same that was announced for the Boxing Day Test.

Many fans and cricketing pundits have already made assumptions around the upcoming match, also known as the New Year’s Test, will be the last for veteran Australia batter Usman Khawaja. Rumour has it that Khawaja will also be addressing the media reporters before the Test match starts, adding solidarity to his retirement reports.

Khawaja, who has found a sweet spot playing in the middle-order in this series, might step out to play for the country for one last time, in what will be his 88th Test appearance. He has over 6200 runs already at an average in excess of 43. If he does call it a time on his international career, it will indeed be a fitting farewell, as it is also the home ground for the 39-year-old.

Beau Webster may finally play

Meanwhile, all-rounder Beau Webster may be seen replacing Cameron Green in the final line-up that will hit the field, as the latter is yet to register a decent score with the bat in the series. Webster, on the other hand, hasn’t been able to make it to the final XI in the series so far, and would want to finish on a high, since the series is already Australia’s courtesy of a 3-1 lead after the MCG Test.

“We know we’ve got a quality player sitting there waiting. We’ve got a batting order that we’d like to think that can function at a higher capacity, so we’ll be having conversations leading into Sydney,” Australia head coach Andrew McDonald was quoted as saying in the media release by CA.

Australia squad for fifth Ashes Test:

Steven Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster