NZ vs AUS, 1st Test: Pat Cummins announces Playing XI for Wellington contest, Steve Smith to open

Pat Cummins’ Australia have announced their Playing XI for the Wellington Test starting on Thursday (Feb 29) as the visitors look to gain vital ground in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. As announced, former skipper Steve Smith will continue to play in the opener’s role while Cameron Green will be slotted in the number four spot. The Aussies have gone with an unchanged bowling unit for the sixth consecutive game in the summer as they look to win the opening contest.

Smith continues as opener

Having taken David Warner’s position as an opener, Smith will have a point to prove as he succeeds the Aussie great. Warner’s retirement after the Sydney Test against Pakistan meant that Smith was preferred as the opener despite the availability of specialist batters in that position. Smith beat off competition from Chris Harris and Matthew Renshaw to take the opener’s position. It will also be the first time away from Australia that he takes the opener’s role having previously only opened against the West Indies in the home series.

In the bowling unit, captain Cummins, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood will continue to represent an unchanged pack. The four bowlers have been in great form this summer and have helped Australia win four Test matches in five encounters. The Aussies only lost to the West Indies in Brisbane in January where Shamar Joseph was in the form of his life.

An unchanged bowling unit also means that the last time one of the four frontline bowlers missed a match was in the Ashes. The level of consistency has helped the defending WTC winners stamp their authority on the opposition batting.

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For hosts New Zealand, Devon Conway will miss the Wellington contest due to a thumb injury with Will Young likely to partner Tom Latham at the top. The New Zealand management has also roped in Henry Nicholas in the squad but Young will likely make the Playing XI. Conway’s injury occurred in the second T20I against Australia last Friday and he was forced to miss the third T20I as a result.

Australia XI: Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood