Jake Weatherald’s Debut Test Series: A Mixed Bag as Australia Retain the Ashes

Introduction: A Long-Awaited Test Debut

Jake Weatherald received his first senior national call-up in November 2025, when he was named in Australia’s squad for the opening Test of the home 2025–26 Ashes series against England in Perth, following a run of strong early-season Sheffield Shield performances. Weatherald is the first born-and-bred Northern Territorian to play Test cricket for Australia, marking a historic milestone for the 31-year-old opening batsman who had waited patiently for his opportunity at the highest level.

Series Performance and Statistical Overview

Weatherald averaged 22.33 playing all five Test matches, only passing 35 once as he posted a stylish half-century in the day-night Test at the Gabba. The curtain officially came down on Weatherald’s debut Test series when he struck a top edge as Australia chased 160 runs for victory on day five of the final Ashes Test. Despite the modest returns, his opening partnership with in-form Travis Head is statistically the most consistent since David Warner’s retirement at the end of the 2023-24 home summer.

Technical Challenges Exposed

Aussie cricket great Justin Langer and former England captain Michael Vaughan both pinpointed a flaw in the opener’s batting technique that has contributed to his string of LBW dismissals during the Ashes series. Langer pinpointed that Weatherald is consistently getting his head too far outside the line of his feet and falling across his stumps as a result. This technical issue proved costly throughout the series, with England’s bowlers exploiting this weakness repeatedly.

Looking Ahead: Darwin Dreams and Selection Dilemmas

Persisting with Weatherald in the short-term would mean playing the 31-year-old in Australia’s next Test match series against Bangladesh in August, which would likely include an emotional chance for Weatherald to play Test cricket in his home city of Darwin. Former Test legend Mike Hussey holds hope for Weatherald playing more Test cricket beyond this summer, believing there’s something there for the long-term if he can sort out that technical issue.

He will be able to return to the Sheffield Shield for the latter part of this summer with Tasmania, and there is potentially a window for a county deal should he want one, providing opportunities to address his technical shortcomings before the next Test series. Weatherald’s debut series may not have produced spectacular numbers, but his journey represents the perseverance required to reach cricket’s highest level, and selectors now face crucial decisions about Australia’s opening partnership moving forward.