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Sydney: Australian T20 captain George Bailey has reportedly been selected to make his Test debut in the first Test of the winter Ashes series, as captain Michael Clarke and head selector John Inverarity announced the 12 man squad for the Gabba Test, starting from November 21.
Bailey, who has spent over a decade on the Australian domestic scene, was chosen ahead of Tasmanian teammate Alex Doolan in the squad as a reward for his international short-form dominance over the past two years.
Mitchell Johnson also returns to Test cricket while all-rounder James Faulkner has been chosen as a back-up fast bowler who appears destined to be 12th man, adding that although Shane Watson is also in the team, he is not expected to bowl in the first Test as he continues to recover from a minor hamstring strain.
Stating that Bailey's one-day international form had been too hard to resist, Inverarity said that Bailey's confidence is riding high and he has shown an extraordinary performance with the bat in international one-day cricket for which he deserves his opportunity.
Inverarity also hailed the form of Johnson, who also pressed his case via performances in limited-overs cricket in England and India, saying that they are confident that the bowler will acquit himself very well in the fore of the attack as he is in a good rhythm and bowling with good pace.
Australia's Ashes squad:
