Ravi Shastri's Surprising Ashes Pick: Why Xavier Bartlett Deserved Test Spot

The squad for the first Ashes Test was announced two days back, and the former Indian coach was expecting Bartlett to make it to the Test squad following a good run of form in limited-overs cricket. However, it did not turn out to be the case.

Shastri was speaking on SENQ Breakfast. In the recent white-ball series against India at home, Bartlett has displayed some impressive form, having taken three wickets in two ODIs, including the prized scalp of Indian icon Virat Kohli for a back-to-back duck at his happy hunting ground of Adelaide and following it with four wickets in three T20Is during the ongoing series at an average of 27.75, with best figures of 3/39 at Adelaide in ODIs and 2/39 in Melbourne T20I.

In the T20I series, he has had wickets of hard-hitting Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube, while in the ODIs, his wicket-tally included skipper Shubman Gill besides Virat, both of them in a single over.

Speaking on SENQ Breakfast, Shastri said, "I saw the Australian 15-man squad being announced. I thought Xavier Bartlett might get a nod in the 15."

"Having said that, it is still a pretty good bowling attack and in Australian conditions, Perth surface, extra bounce, it will test England," he added.

In 28 first-class matches, representing Queensland at the state level, Bartlett has taken 94 wickets at an average of 26.62, with best figures of 5/32, including six four-wicket hauls and three five-wicket hauls. However, he has yet to make his Test debut.

In five ODIs, Bartlett has 15 wickets at an average of 11.13, with two four-wicket hauls, while in 15 T20Is, he has taken 19 wickets at an average of 19.31 and best figures of 3/13.

Shastri, who led India to landmark back-to-back Border-Gavaskar Series victories on Aussie soil in 2019 and 2021, said that England will have to make early "inroads" to have a chance at winning the series, and their best chance is to start off with a win in Perth, where pacer and captain Pat Cummins is missing out due to injury.

"In the long term, I think England will challenge," Shastri continued.

"If you look at the last two or three series that they have come to Australia, they have been blown away. But on this occasion, I think if their fast bowlers are fully fit for the first three Test matches, they can make inroads.

"And their best chance is without Cummins playing, so expect a better performance from England, but the adjustment will have to be quick," he concluded.

Australia's First Test squad for Ashes: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.

England's squad: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.

- ANI