Australia stick with same team for second Ashes Test

Australia will field the same team in the second Ashes Test against England, captain Steve Smith said on Friday, with uncapped local seamer Chadd Sayers and quick Jackson Bird again missing out. Same team, Smith told reporters succinctly at his pre-match news conference at Adelaide Oval, where the second Test starts on Saturday. The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with a 10-wicket victory at the Gabba where their dominance in the second innings gave the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins sufficient time to rest.

Australia unchanged for second Test in Adelaide: https://t.co/uHckzj6mtO #Ashes pic.twitter.com/1dDU11WUbk

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 1, 2017

Australia's selectors named a 13-man squad for the first two Tests, including the surprise selections of opener Cameron Bancroft, batsman Shaun Marsh and wicketkeeper Tim Paine. Australia team: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Watch live as Aussie skipper Steve Smith speaks with the media on the eve of the second #Ashes Test. https://t.co/RdidLxbfMD

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 1, 2017