Sources on the ground in Perth are reporting via social media that Australia have selected Tasmania's Jake Weatherald to make his Test debut at Optus Stadium tomorrow, at the expense of his state teammate Beau Webster.
Weatherald's selection as an opener will allow Marnus Labuschagne to return to his preferred role of number three, whilst South Australia's Brendan Doggett will also be handed his Baggy Green at tomorrow morning's presentation to join an Aussie bowling attack featuring Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc.
The 31-year-old Weatherald leapt into Test contention as the best opener of the Sheffield Shield in recent years, whilst he brings far more First-Class experience as an opener to the table than any other option - even boasting more innings (145) and centuries (13) at the top of the order than 38-year-old Usman Khawaja (11).
Australia's other selection option was to open with Labuschagne to allow Beau Webster to bat at six and offer some seam bowling assistance, but confirmation from Cameron Green earlier in the week that he can now bowl with no workload limitations made that less than desirable, particularly as Labuschagne made just 39 runs from his only Test as an opener and has spent the lead-up to this series at number three or four.
"He rarely nicked, he did not follow the line of balls that seamed, and punished any width," Aussie captain Pat Cummins said of Weatherald's first training session with the team in Perth.
Mitchell Starc offered similarly high praise of Australia's next Test opener.
"I bowled a little bit to him today and it was a pretty hardcore net today with Doggy (Brendan Doggett) and myself," Starc said.
"He looks like he is pretty assured in what he wants to get done."