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The shorter forms of the game have not been kind to Australia of late. So, with a daunting Test series coming up against world number one India on their home soil, it’s time for you, readers of the The Roar, to pick our best XI for the first Test in Pune.
For this one, you’re only going be allowed to pick from the 16 players who’ve made the trip to the sub-continent, and we’ve divided them into batsmen (including all-rounders), wicketkeepers and bowlers.
As far as batsmen go, there are a number of selections you’ll have to make.
Assuming you lock in captain Steve Smith and vice-captain Dave Warner, who competes for the other four spots? Where do they bat?
Does Shaun Marsh open the batting alongside Warner or do you give Matt Renshaw the call-up?
Is Usman Khawaja’s susceptibility to the spin so severe that he’s left out despite strong recent Test form?
Do Mitchell Marsh or Glenn Maxwell contribute enough with the ball to offset their questionable ability to stay at the crease?
Moving on to the wicketkeeping situation, can you trust Matthew Wade behind the stumps or do you open the door to Peter Handscomb? With the Australian side set to unleash a lot of spin, you need very reliable hands in those gloves. Who has them?
Australia have also brought along four spinners in their seven-man bowling contingent, making the task of balancing pace and spin more difficult than normal.
Nathan Lyon, Steve O’Keefe, Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson have all made the flight as the Aussies look to take advantage of the trickier Indian pitches, but who in that group actually gets a game?
Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird provide the pace, but how much work do they get?
The power is yours, Roarers, so make sure you have your say before the selectors name their XI.