Josh Hazelwood ruled out of 1st Ashes Test. Micheal Neser named replacement.

In what is turning out to be a competition of injuries ahead of the Ashes 2025, the injured lists of hosts Australia have a new member. Josh Hazelwood, who skipped the remaining India T20 games has been ruled out of the opening test at Perth with a back injury. 

Hazelwood’s injury adds to Australia’s woes as Pat Cummins has already been ruled out of the opening game and the onus is now on Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland to deliver the goods against a robust England batting line up.

In his absence, Michael Neser has been added to the squad for the series opener. The Queensland seamer comes in as cover not just for Hazlewood but also for Sean Abbott, who also picked up a hamstring strain in the same Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Victoria.

Australia are already short on fast bowling and Hazelwood’s injury opens the door for a plethora of pacers, particularly Brendon Dodgett, who has been mighty impressive in the Sheffield Shield with 13 wickets at a miserly economy. Sean Abbot too waits in the wings as do T20 specialists like Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshius, who don't have a bad record either. 

The hosts though do start as favourites at home even with these injuries as England, having last one an Ashes test match in 2011 down under, will be under the pump once again, but at least this time, their batting has that fire power to counter the fiery Aussie attack.