Australia skipper Steve Smith won the toss and chose to bat on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba on Thursday.
Josh Hazlewood was selected ahead of Peter Siddle as Australia’s third pace bowler, while The Black Caps preferred Doug Bracewell to Matt Henry in their XI.
The Kiwis are chasing a first series win in Australia since 1985 and will be looking to their two highly rated pacemen Tim Southee and Trent Boult to bowl them to victory over the transitional Australian team.
The post-Ashes departures of former skipper Michael Clarke along with stalwarts Shane Watson, Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin and Ryan Harris have forced a redraft of Australia’s batting, but there are questions over the replacements.
Apart from Smith and his deputy David Warner, the rest of Australia’s batsmen can muster only a combined 29 Test appearances between Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Peter Nevill and Mitchell Marsh.
The Black Caps have lost six and drawn one of the seven Tests in Brisbane since their last win at the Gabba 30 years ago when they went on to take the series 2-1.
But the Kiwis are much-improved under the positive leadership of Brendon McCullum and have lost just three of their last 17 Tests, beating England by 199 runs at Headingley to square their series last June.
Australia reign supreme at the Gabba ground where they have not lost a Test match since 1988, to Viv Richards’ mighty West Indies.
Teams
Australia – David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (capt), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle (12th man).
New Zealand – Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (capt), Jimmy Neesham, BJ Watling, Mark Craig, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Matt Henry (12th man).
Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) Richard Illingworth (ENG)
TV umpire: Sundaram Ravi (IND)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)