Sydney Test: Australia all-rounder Beau Webster receives Baggy Green from Mark Waugh

Earlier on Thursday, Australia dropped a selection surprise by adding 31-year-old Beau Webster in the playing eleven, who made his debut at the Sydney Test, while all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been dropped.

Before the start of the final game of the BGT, Webster received the prestigious Baggy Green from Aussie cricket legend Mark Waugh.

https://x.com/cricketcomau/status/1874949930219082233

As per ICC, Webster is set to become the 469th Test player for Australia, and is the preferred sixth batter for the side, with Pat Cummins confirming there were no fitness concerns for Marsh despite minor back complaints earlier in the series.

Averaging just 10.42 for the series and not providing cut-through with his overs of pace bowling, Marsh gives way to Webster, whose recent first-class bowling numbers, and a quick turnaround from the Melbourne Test, also contributed to the change.

Webster claimed 12 wickets across his last three first-class outings, taking six wickets and making an unbeaten 46* in the most recent Australia A v India A meeting in Melbourne.

However, star pacer Mitchell Starc who had fitness concerns after the Melbourne Test kept his place in the first eleven after being declared fit in spite of rib soreness sustained in the fourth match of the series.

Meanwhile, during the time of toss, talisman India pacer Jasprit Bumrah came out in the blazer and confirmed that top-order batter Rohit Sharma opted to rest for the final match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney.

Australia (Playing XI): Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (WK), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah (C), Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj. (ANI)