Australia name unchanged Test squad

Australia’s selectors have shown faith in the youthful side that beat South Africa in Adelaide by naming an unchanged 12-man squad to face Pakistan in the first Commonwealth Bank Test at the Gabba starting next Thursday.

Following five straight losses, the resignation of the chairman of selectors and an overhaul of the starting XI, Australia bounced back in the final Test against the Proteas to win by seven wickets and kick start a new era of Australian cricket under captain Steve Smith.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade.

"We were very pleased with how the team came together in Adelaide after some significant changes following the Tests in Perth and Hobart," said interim national selector Trevor Hohns.

"This is a young group with a lot of promise and we believe all deserve their opportunity again in this upcoming Test."

Western Australia batsman Shaun Marsh was not considered for selection as continues his recovery from the broken finger he sustained in the first Test of the summer against the Proteas on his home turf of Perth.

Marsh batted through pain to post 63 and 15 at the WACA Ground, adding to his 130 and 23 in his comeback Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August.

"Shaun has yet to resume batting and will have a follow-up x-ray this week that will be reviewed by a specialist. This will determine when he can resume cricket training," saidBupa Support Team Physiotherapist Alex Kountouris .

Australia have continued their winning ways after wrapping up the one-day international Chappell-Hadlee Trophy 2-0 with a match to spare due in large to centuries from Smith (164 in Sydney) and David Warner (119 in Canberra) in the one-sided series.

New-ball pair Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have collected eight wickets between them against New Zealand, while gloveman Matthew Wade has been exemplary behind the stumps.

Seven members of the Test squad returned to first-class cricket after the win in Adelaide to play under lights in a day-night round of the Sheffield Shield.

After scoring a career-defining 145 in a player-of-the-match performance at the Adelaide Oval last month, Usman Khawaja has continued his good form against the pink Kookaburra ball with 157 and 61 for the myFoot Dr Queensland Bulls in their Shield clash against the Alcohol.Think Again Western Warriors in Perth.

Youngster Matthew Renshaw, who guided Australia to victory in his maiden Test match, scored 38 and 2 in Perth, while fellow debutant Peter Handscomb made 17 from 24 balls in Hobart against the Tasmanian Tigers.

Tasmania stand-in skipper Jackson Bird claimed 2-70 from 21 overs against the Commonwealth Bank Victorian Bushrangers, with both he and Handscomb set to play a significant role of the final day where the visitors require a further 316 runs to enter the BBL break with a perfect record.

In Adelaide, NSW Blues batsman Nic Maddinson brushed off his 12-ball duck on debut to post an match-high 80 against the West End Redbacks before making a duck in the second innings as NSW collapsed to be all out for 87.

Test spinner Nathan Lyon continued his return to form with 3-69 and 2-43 in the tense two-wicket loss, and earned the praise of national coach Darren Lehmann.

"It looks like he's getting back some good drift and spin, which is nice to see," Lehmann told reporters in Melbourne today.

While no decision will be made until much closer to the Test match, Lehmann said employing a four-pronged pace attack in Queensland was an option.

"If conditions suit, we're a chance, just have to wait and see the weather and way the wicket is .. time will tell," said Lehmann.

"(Lyon) has bowled well (at the Gabba) in the past, it will be a tight call whichever way we go.

"We've just to get it the right way to get 20 wickets."

In a match dominated by the ball, swing bowler Chadd Sayers added to his first innings figures of 3-66 with 5-27 in the second innings to play a leading role in dismantling the Blues.

Sayers is now the leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield with 29 wickets at 18.58 from five games and will be pushing incumbent third seamer Bird for a Test berth in Brisbane.

Should Bird retain his place in the starting XI it will be the first time in more than a year Australia has played the same XI in consecutive Test matches after first two Tests against the Black Caps at the start of last summer.

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