Head, Starc make Australia’s XI for Ashes opener

Travis Head and Mitchell Starc have been named in Pat Cummins’s first XI as Test captain as Australia locked in their playing personnel three days out from the Ashes opener at the Gabba.
Head pipped Usman Khawaja for the No.5 slot after both the left-handers had made their case for selection with strong performances in the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield in the build up to the Brisbane Test. Head and Khawaja have two centuries each from the five games with the former scoring a 101 in the most recent clash against Khawaja’s Queensland.