Australia hands Mahli Beardman ODI debut as inexperienced attack faces England in Perth opener

Why the match is trending right now

Search interest peaked on 13 November 2026 as the first ODI of the Australia–England series got underway at Perth Stadium. Australia captain Mitch Marsh won the toss and elected to bowl, then handed a debut ODI cap to 21-year-old Western Australian quick Mahli Beardman. The decision immediately focused attention on a home attack shorn of its three most experienced fast bowlers—Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are all rested for the three-match series, while Nathan Ellis is sidelined by injury.

The debutant and the attack around him

Beardman has been on the radar since a T20 international debut in Lahore earlier this year where he claimed 2-33 against Pakistan. A back stress injury then sidelined him for seven months before he returned for Western Australia and impressed for Australia A in India, taking 4-23 in a 50-over match that included the wickets of Test batters Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal. Captain Marsh, his WA teammate, described him as an amazing talent, a ripping young kid who loves to bowl fast and always got a smile on his face in big moments.

The pace group assembled for the opener reads like a development squad: Beardman (0 ODIs before today), Xavier Bartlett (12 ODIs), Spencer Johnson (7 ODIs), Jack Edwards (2 ODIs) and Cameron Green, who is likely to play as a batter only given recent injury niggles. Together they bring 61 ODI caps to the park. By contrast, leg-spinner Adam Zampa alone has 127 ODI appearances and will be leaned on heavily to shepherd the young quicks.

England's selection picture

England arrive with disruption of their own. Paceman Josh Tongue (toe) and all-rounder Jacob Bethell (knee) were both sent home after injury setbacks during the lead-up. The silver lining for the tourists is the return of Jofra Archer, rested from the recent ODI tri-series in Pakistan, who slots straight back into the XI. Veteran batter Joe Root marks his 200th ODI appearance, a milestone that adds a layer of narrative to a side captained by Harry Brook.

Context: a long gap in the ODI calendar

The series carries unusual weight because Australia is not scheduled to play another ODI for roughly eight months after these three matches. The next 50-over World Cup in Africa is still 11 months away, so this window represents the only extended look at the next generation of Australian one-day bowlers before a prolonged hiatus. Chief selector George Bailey noted the batting group—led by Marsh and Travis Head at the top, with Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis, Green, Matthew Renshaw, Oliver Peake and Alex Carey in the wider squad—has played a reasonable amount of cricket together and is reasonably settled outside of the three Test quicks that are not there.

Conditions and toss logic

Marsh had little hesitation bowling first. The average first-innings ODI total at Optus Stadium is just 178, and the surface is expected to offer pace and bounce early. It's well renowned now we like to chase, Marsh said. Hopefully we can get off to a good start with the ball and apply some pressure early. Beardman himself has already faced England once this week, playing for Western Australia in a tour match last Saturday, which he said helped make the transition a little bit easier.

Line-ups at a glance

What to watch next

The immediate storyline is how Beardman and the other young quicks handle the step up against a powerful England batting line-up on a pitch that should reward pace. Beyond the match result, selectors will be evaluating whether this attack can function without the rested trio when the World Cup cycle resumes. For England, Archer's rhythm after a managed return and Root's form at a personal milestone are the key subplots. With no further ODIs locked in for Australia until late 2027, every over bowled by this inexperienced group carries outsized selection significance.