PERTH: England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and decided to bat first Friday in the Ashes series -opening cricket Test against Australia.

The English, trying to win a Test in Australia for the first time since 2010-11, opted for an all-pace attack led by Jofra Archer and 35-year-old Mark Wood and left spinner Shoaib Bashir out of the XI.

Australia has won 13 and drawn two of its last 15 Ashes Tests in Australia.

Regular skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are missing the first test because of injuries, opening the way for Brendan Doggett to make his test debut and become the third Indigenous Australian man to play test cricket.

Doggett will be bowling alongside Scott Boland, making it the first time two Indigenous Australians have played in the same test lineup.

The team batting

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