Green a long-term option at No.3 as Cummins confirms order

Australia see Cameron Green as a long-term No.3 after captain Pat Cummins confirmed the allrounder would remain at first-drop for Wednesday's series opener against the West Indies.

Sam Konstas has also been pencilled in as opener after it was previously announced Marnus Labuschagne had been dropped for the first Test in Barbados, while Josh Inglis replaces the injured Steve Smith at No.4.

West Indies XI: Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Brandon King, Roston Chase (c), Shai Hope (wk), Justin Greaves, Jomel Warrican, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales

 

Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Australia have backed the same bowling attack from their World Test Championship final defeat to South Africa, resisting the urge to bring in a second specialist spinner on a surface that Cummins admitted he still wasn't quite sure about.

It means Cummins will have to turn to Beau Webster or Travis Head's offies should he require extra spin overs.

"We don't really know what to expect but it feels like the three quicks are better suited for this wicket," the Aussie skipper said at Bridgetown's Kensington Oval on match eve.

"I think it'll be pretty good wicket with maybe a little bit of spin later on in the game, (but) honestly, I've got no idea."

The Windies will also line-up with three quicks in Shamar and Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales, with support from pace-bowling allrounder Justin Greaves, but new skipper Roston Chase has two spinners at his disposal as well in left-armer Jomel Warrican and his own off-spin.

Chase, who has replaced Kraigg Brathwaite as captain, headlines a raft of changes for the hosts under new red-ball coach Daren Sammy, who took over in all three formats in April having mentored both white-ball sides since 2023.

As well as not knowing what to expect from the Kensington Oval pitch, Cummins was also "not overly sure" what to expect from their opponents, who have transformed their XI since they last played Australia in January 2024.

Just three players – Brathwaite, Greaves and Warrican – remain from West Indies last Test in Pakistan in January, while Shamar and Alzarri Joseph are two of four players alongside Brathwaite and Greaves that featured in their incredible eight-run win at the Gabba a year earlier.

"When we played these guys in Australia, (more than) half the squad weren't there; it's a new squad," Cummins noted ahead of the three-Test series.

"I like that part of Test cricket, you've got to problem solve really quickly when you're out there.

"But they've got some class fast bowlers and a new captain as well.

"That was a great series couple years ago and we weren't quite up to scratch in the Gabba Test and a couple of the West Indian guys, particularly Shamar, had a day out.

"I'm sure the batters have been talking about how to manage him and counter that … it's a new (Test) cycle so we're really keen to get off to a good start and put ourselves at the top of that WTC."

But one thing Cummins is certain about as they kick off a new WTC campaign with Australia's first Test tour of the Caribbean in a decade is that Green is their guy at No.3 as they look to stabilise their batting order ahead of a blockbuster home Ashes series beginning in November.

The West Australian is playing as a specialist batter against the West Indies as he builds towards a return to the bowling crease for the Ashes following back surgery last October.

Keeping the 26-year-old at first-drop also provides him stability with Smith a chance to return for the second Test in Grenada from July 3 if he can tolerate batting with a split on his right little finger after he dislocated the digit in the WTC final at Lord's.

"We always like to not have too many moving parts," Cummins said.

"We see (Green at three) as a long-term option.

"He's hitting the ball really well; he's moving really well. He had a Test match where it didn't go to plan, and he only faced (five) balls.

"The message is not to look into that too much. We're really happy with where his game is placed and I dare say he'll get a decent run at number three.

"Not much has changed from last week and we're happy with where everyone else is batting – Sammy (Konstas) is obviously an opener and the available spot for Josh this week is at number four."

Qantas Tour of the West Indies

First Test: June 25-29, Bridgetown, Barbados (midnight AEST)

Second Test: July 3-7, St George's, Grenada (midnight AEST)

Third Test: July 12-16, Kingston, Jamaica (4.30am AEST)

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

West Indies Test squad: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales

First T20I: July 20, Kingston, Jamaica (July 21, 11am AEST)

Second T20I: July 22, Kingston, Jamaica (July 23, 11am AEST)

Third T20I: July 25, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 26, 9am AEST)

Fourth T20I: July 26, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 27, 9am AEST)

Fifth T20I: July 28, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 29, 9am AEST)

West Indies T20 squad: TBC

Australia's T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa