Australian News Today

The boys are back in town! Australia hit Perth for West Test

The boys are back in town! Australia hit Perth for West Test

Australia’s Test landed in Perth ahead of their highly-anticipated five-match series against India with one goal in mind — to reclaim the Border-Gavasker Trophy for the first time in a decade.

Led by inspirational Pat Cummins, the Test side will spend the next four days preparing for the first Test against powerhouses India at Optus Stadium starting on Friday.

India have won the past four-series between the two cricketing heavyweights, with Australia last winning a series against the sub-continental side in the 2014-15 summer.

But the home nation has never lost a Test at Optus Stadium, including a 146-run win in the first ever game to be played at the Burswood venue nearly six years ago.

Only six players — Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazewood, Usman Khawaja and Travis Head — will pull on the whites for the Aussies this week that played in that win more than half a decade ago.

South Australian captain Nathan McSweeney will become the 467th recipient of the famed Baggy Green when he makes his debut at the top of the order, having won the highly-publicised battle to partner Usman Khawaja.

McSweeney said he was ready for the bouncy, fast Optus Stadium surface in what could be a baptism of fire for the new Australian opener.

“I feel like my game suits those conditions and I’m looking forward to preparing this week in the lead-up,” McSweeney told 7NEWS.