The 2025/26 Ashes Test offers Australian batter Jake Weatherald a chance to become one of his country’s top players in cricket’s longest format. Weatherald is set to play for Australia in his first Ashes when England lock horns with the hosts from November 21, 2025.
Weatherald joins Australia’s lineup as the side aims to put up a strong showing versus their opponents in the long Test series.
Who is Jake Weatherald?
Jake Weatherald is a 31-year-old Australian batsman who earned his stripes in cricket at state level. He is one of several Aussie cricketers to receive a call-up outside the country’s major sporting hubs.
Weatherald made his name as a reliable run-scorer for South Australia in white-ball tournaments. His domestic career has birthed several centuries and big-hitting results that eventually put him on the national team’s radar.
When Did Australia Last Hand a Test Call-Up to 2+ Debutants in a Series?
The inclusion of Weatherald and Brendan Doggett in Australia’s lineup is a historic moment. It is the first time Australia decided to hand two or more players their long-format debuts in Test cricket since 2019. The last time saw Jhye Richardson and Kurtis Patterson get their first Test call-ups as Australia faced Sri Lanka in a Gabba encounter.
When Did Australia Last Hand Debuts to 2+ Players in Ashes?
The last debuts for two or more Australian cricketers in Ashes came when Michael Beer and Usman Khawaja played at the 2011/12 edition at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Has Weatherald Played International Cricket Before?
Weatherald has not been in any international cricket team for Australia leading up to his first Test nod. His relatively fresh profile could be a source of multiple headaches for England Down Under.
England’s Test skipper Ben Stokes agrees, as he says Weatherald’s debut could trigger wrong analysis of his strengths and weaknesses before games:
“When you’ve not played against someone before, you’ve got a vague idea of strengths, maybe potential areas you can expose them,” Stokes said.
“We’ve got all the info on Weatherald so we’ll just have to see how it goes and hopefully he’s another Australian batter we can keep quiet throughout the tour,” the skipper concluded.
Beau Webster Omitted from Ashes Squad vs England, Praises Weatherald’s Skillset
Australian all-rounder Beau Webster is one of several players left out of his team’s lineup to face England in this Test series. However, the batting all-rounder clearly shrugged of this snub and has nothing but praise for the debuting Weatherald:
He is a revelation – Webster submits
“He’s been a revelation for us at the top of the order,” Webster shared while commenting on Weatherald’s batting performance before the Ashes.
Beau says Jake can take the game early in innings
“We were crying out a little bit for someone who can take the game away early in the innings, and he does that,” he added. Webster believes Jake’s pre-Ashes knocks reveals vital elements of his game and his ability to heap pressure on bowlers:
“We saw even a couple of knocks this year to go with his exceptional year last year, where he puts the pressure back on the bowlers,” he added.
Webster claims Weatherald can punish England
The ousted all-rounder believes his compatriot can deliver impressive strikes early in innings to overwhelm opposing teams if they play bad balls:
“He bats how you want to as an opening batter in Australia right now. He punishes a bad ball, and he’s really selective when the ball’s around the stumps. He nearly single-handedly got us into a Shield final last year with the way batted,” Webster added.
Webster warmed hearts prior to these comments by choosing to hand Weatherald his first Baggy Green to continue Australia’s rich cricket tradition.
Australia Playing XI for first 2025/26 Ashes Test
Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (w-k), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett
Full Ashes 2025/26 Schedule
| Date | Match (Test) | Venue (City) | Local Time |
| Nov 21 – Nov 25, 2025 | 1st Test – Australia v England | Perth Stadium, Perth | 05:30 pm |
| Dec 04 – Dec 08, 2025 | 2nd Test – Australia v England | The Gabba, Brisbane | 09:30 am |
| Dec 17 – Dec 21, 2025 | 3rd Test – Australia v England | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | 05:30 am |
| Dec 26 – Dec 30, 2025 | 4th Test – Australia v England | MCG, Melbourne | 05:30 am |
| Jan 04 – Jan 08, 2026 | 5th Test – Australia v England | SCG, Sydney | 05:30 am |
