Australia will field multiple debutants in an Ashes Test for the first time since the 2010-11 New Year's Test when Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer played their first games.

Two days after Australia’s third Test in the Caribbean in July – when the West Indies were skittled for 27 on another bowler-friendly pitch – coach Andrew McDonald sensed the storm clouds forming and moved early to douse speculation by backing Khawaja to play in the Ashes despite the veteran making just 117 runs at an average of 19.5 on that tour.