What are Indigenous Australians? Weatherald and Doggett handed debuts as Australia make history with two indigenous players for first Ashes Test

Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett are set to make history as Australia handed them Ashes Test debuts at Perth Stadium. Both 31, the pair will receive their baggy green caps at a sold-out Perth Stadium on Friday, marking the first time multiple debutants have been selected for an Australian Test since early 2019. Australia will also field a Test XI for the first time with two Indigenous players - Doggett and Scott Boland.


According to ESPNCricinfo, this will be the first occasion since 2019 - when Kurtis Patterson and Jhye Richardson debuted against Sri Lanka at the Gabba - that Australia awards two new caps in a single Test. It also marks the first time in an Ashes match since Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer debuted at the SCG during the 2010–11 series.


Australian skipper Steve Smith described it as 'really exciting' to see Weatherald and Doggett make their Test debuts against England, expressing confidence in their ability to perform on the big stage.

Weatherald joins as Usman Khawaja’s sixth opening partner since David Warner’s retirement, allowing Marnus Labuschagne to return to his preferred number three spot. Cameron Green moves to six, following Smith at four and Travis Head at five.

Doggett, a standout performer in domestic cricket in recent seasons, will make his Australian debut after Josh Hazlewood was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Pat Cummins is also unavailable while recovering from a back issue, with Boland stepping in as his replacement.

Boland and Doggett will spearhead the pace attack alongside Mitchell Starc, and captain Smith expressed confidence that the duo will rise to the challenge on their first Test outing.

Veteran spinner Nathan Lyon, playing his 140th Test, offers Australia a proven spin option, having claimed 268 of his 562 Test wickets at home with an average of 31.08. He is just two wickets shy of surpassing Glenn McGrath to become the sixth-highest wicket-taker in Test history.

England, who drew the most recent Ashes series 2-2 at home in 2023, have not won in Australia since the 2010-2011 series. The tourists have named a 12-player squad for the opening Test, with the final playing XI to be confirmed at the toss.

What are Indigenous Australians?

Indigenous Australians are the continent’s original inhabitants, consisting of two main groups: Aboriginal peoples of mainland Australia and Tasmania, and Torres Strait Islanders from the islands between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

According to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), these communities possess diverse languages, cultures, and traditions that stretch back more than 60,000 years, representing the world’s oldest continuous living cultures.

Within these broad groups exists remarkable diversity, exemplified by over 250 distinct language groups across the country, each with unique customs, histories, and connections to land and community.