The Ashes 2025 has finally kicked off in Perth with England aiming to end a 15-year test drought in Australia. However, the host continues their remarkable home dominance. Still, Brendan Doggett had already made history before a single ball was bowled.
Australia became part of a monumental moment in the 148-year history of Test Cricket. However, the match between England vs Australia took a moment featuring. Doggett and Scott Boland, to mark a major milestone for domestic representation in the sport.
Doggett & Boland – A Historic Indigenous Pairing
Australia fielded 2 indigenous cricketers in the same match, including Doggett and Boland. Doggett made a long-awaited Test debut after injuries ruled out Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. However, Boland was recalled due to the absence of Cummins to add experience to the pace unit.
Why is this historic?
Only three Indigenous men have ever played Test cricket for Australia before this match. Below is the list of those cricketers:
- Jason Gillespie (first Indigenous male Test player)
- Scott Boland (second)
- Brendan Doggett (now third)
Faith Thomas and Ash Gardner are the only Indigenous Test representatives in women’s cricket. However, this debut places Doggett into an elite and culturally significant group. Hence, it solidifies his role in the cricketing heritage of Australia.
Who Are Indigenous Australians?
These cricketers are the original inhabitants of the continent, among the oldest surviving civilians in the world. However, their representation in elite sport was historically limited due to the colonisation-era struggle. Therefore, the rise of Doggett is even more meaningful.
Doggett’s Cricket Journey
First-Class Career Overview
Since debuting in 2017, he has developed an outstanding red ball reputation. Moreover, the following is the highlight of his career:
- 50 First-Class matches
- 190 wickets
- Average: 26.5
- 5-wicket hauls: 9
- 4-wicket hauls: 10
He started with Queensland. However, he then moved to South Australia in 2021-2022, where his number has improved significantly, including 110 wickets at 24.5 for South Australia.
Doggett’s Recent Dominance
His selection was backed by his exceptional form. Below is the highlight of his form:
- 78 wickets in his last 15 Sheffield Shield matches
- Average: 21.7
- Strike rate: 38.1
- Only Boland has a better strike rate (37.5) among bowlers with 50+ wickets during the period.
Doggett also has limited exposure to the current England squad because only Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue have faced him before.
Jake Weatherald Makes His Test Debut Too
Besides Doggett, Weatherald was also handed his Test cap. Hence, he became the second debutant for Australia in this Ashes opener. The highlight of Weatherald’s career is mentioned below:
- 5,322 runs
- Average: 37.47
- 13 centuries & 40 fifty-plus scores
- Highest score: 198
He opened the inning with Usman Khwaja. Thus, it marks the first instance of Australia of two debutants in one test since 2019.
Australia’s Playing XI for the Ashes Opener
- Usman Khawaja
- Jake Weatherald
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steven Smith (c)
- Travis Head
- Cameron Green
- Alex Carey (wk)
- Mitchell Starc
- Nathan Lyon
- Brendan Doggett
- Scott Boland
A Historic Start to the Ashes
The debut of Brendan Doggett in Australian cricket symbolises history, culture, and a new milestone for Australia. Besides Scott Boland, he helped write a new chapter in Ashes lore. Moreover, Australia has showcased depth and diversity in their squad, as Jake Weatherald also stepped into Test cricket.
Now, all eyes will be on this historic trio to see how they contribute to the campaign of Australia as the Ashes 2025 progresses. However, Brendan Doggett has given an impressive start as he took 2 wickets with the lowest economy rate of 3.90.
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