Opener Jake Weatherald is set to join fast bowler Brendan Doggett in debuting for Australia in the Ashes opener in Perth.

While Doggett was a near-certainty to play after Josh Hazlewood was ruled out due to a hamstring injury, Australia were weighing up whether to pick Weatherald or use Marnus Labuschagne at the top.

But the Northern Territory-raised Weatherald will become Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since David Warner retired from Test cricket in January 2024.

“He’s got a lot of courage,” stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith said of Weatherald.

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“He wants to face bowlers (in the nets) the entire time.

“The guys were charging in, bowling fast and he took it on. He was getting in really good positions, and he goes about it a certain way.

“He’s been selected for his performances over the last 18 months, in particular, he’s batted exceptionally well at the top of the order for Tasmania.

“Hopefully, he can bring that to the Test arena.”

It means Weatherald’s Tasmania teammate Beau Webster misses out, dropped after playing seven Tests since his remarkable debut against India in January.

An Australian Test bowler shouts and pumps his fists in celebration as his teammates run towards him after a wicket.

Beau Webster came into the Australian side for the fifth Test against India in January, but he has been replaced by Cameron Green as the all-rounder for the Ashes opener. (Getty Images: SOPA Images/Lightrocket/Ayush Kumar)

It will be the first time since Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson came in to face Sri Lanka in January 2019 that Australia have blooded two debutants in the same Test.

After being dropped for the tour of the Caribbean following a lean run, Labuschagne is back following his outstanding start to the summer for Queensland.

“Marnus, when he’s batting at his best at number three, he makes us a very good cricket side,” Smith said.

“We couldn’t really leave him out after he came back and did exactly what was told of him.”

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Green, who had pushed up to number three since his return from a serious back injury, will go back to number six where he started his Test career.

But Green looms as Australia’s long-term number four when Smith ends his illustrious Test career in the coming years.

The 26-year-old has only just returned to bowling after playing as a batter-only in his four Tests this year.

England on Wednesday named a 12-man squad for the first Test, picking both speedsters Jofra Archer and Mark Wood as they aim to capitalise on a traditional pacy and bouncy pitch in Perth.

England captain Ben Stokes will also address the media on Thursday after Smith speaks in what shapes as the closest Ashes series in Australia for more than 40 years.

Australian first Test team:

Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (C), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (WK), Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, Brendan Doggett

AAP