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There will be, and already have been a number of predictions about what the Australian test team line up should look like at the Gabba on Thursday the 21st of November.
This is an in-depth view at what I think the 11 should be plus some notable omissions and why they missed out.
1. Chris Rogers
Rogers has over the past five Tests proved that even at the age of 35, he has what it takes to score runs at international level.
Brought in as a short term option to help the Australian top order, he didn’t disappoint, and therefore has to be selected for probably at least the first three Tests, and a good innings or two will get him the whole series.
2. David Warner
Warner has to be at the top of the Australian order. Apart from the fact I have always been a fan of Warner, he has proved on a couple of occasions he can take the test match away from a team in less than a session, by coming out and blitzing the other team.
If Australia need quick runs, then he has to be out there. Yes you could argue Warner has had his fair share of failures and personal issues, but if he isn’t out there on the 21st of November, then there is probably something wrong with the selectors.
3. Shane Watson
You either love Watson, or you hate Watson, I personally hate Watson, but the selectors would find it impossible to leave him out of the team.
During the first part of the previous Ashes series, he bowled tightly the whole time, always restricting England (although that wasn’t hard to do), however you are named at number three for your batting, not bowling.
Just when it looked like Watson had reached the end of his time in the team he came out with a massive score of 176. This surely, will give him some life at number three, especially as this is a position Australia have struggled in so much in recent times.
4. Phil Hughes
Hughes has had a very on again off again career. However after he got dropped he went away, worked on his game to such an extent that he basically changed the way he played.
He came back for a famous set of One Day centuries, which led to his test selection for the previous Ashes. At times he looked good, at other he looked beaten as if he were supposed to be batting at number 11.
However I think he does deserve another shot at the Australian test team, on home soil, where he resurrected his career.
At the moment, you may only need to fill this position for another year before Nic Maddison and Jordan Silk come along. This will be Hughes’ last chance.
5. Michael Clarke (c)
An obvious choice in the team, the skipper, the inspirational leader who last summer hit more centuries than you can count on one hand.
The only question for Clarke is what position does he bat in? He has scored the bulk of his centuries at five, however, apart from his mainly bad Ashes series; he had one big century (187) batting at number four in the third Test at Manchester.
However his numbers at five speak for themselves so that is where he should be batting.
6. Steve Smith
Smith had a really good first part of the Ashes series, and has to be included in the team for the first Test of the return series one way or another.
I think judging by the rest of the team and Steve Smith’s style number six is the right position for him. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs, and I think he needs a big hundred to really confirm his position and status in the team.
7. Brad Haddin (wk) (vc)
Haddin being not only reinstated in the team for the last Ashes series but being placed as the vice-captain, shows how bad Australia’s experience level currently is and how bad Australia’s leadership prospects are.
Either way he has being solid since being reinstated in the team and must be named for the first Test at the Gabba.
8. Peter Siddle
Peter Siddle is far and away the best pace bowler eligible to play for Australia, and one of the best and most consistent in the world.
He once again bowled well in the first part of this extended Ashes series. He has led the Australian pace attack for a number of years now and must be selected at the Gabba for the first Test.
9. Ryan Harris
Harris finally stayed healthy for long enough to put together a really good Ashes series in England, and was probably the best pace bowler for the series.
He always troubled the batsmen with good pace and a consistent line and length. If he can stay healthy for the Australian Ashes series, we hope he would do the same again and there is no way known to man that the selectors can leave him out of the 11.
10. Jackson Bird
Bird has the height, pace, swing, bounce and the head to make it as a fast bowler in Test match cricket.
He needs to be given a proper run in this series, after his single test in England.
He would have been deadly in the right conditions in England with the Duke Ball but wasn’t really given a run.
This time he has to be given a run so he can prove what he can do.
11. Nathan Lyon
Lyon is the incumbent spinner for Australia, and bowled well in the Ashes, working out that he needed more flight on the ball instead of being flatter and faster every time he bowled.
I think the selection of Agar in the first two Test matches was a big wakeup call for Lyon that there are other bowlers lining up to take his spot, he went away and worked on his bowling and came out of it a better bowler.
As such he should be lining up at the Gabba on the 21st of November.
Notable omissions
Ed Cowan
Cowan, finally reached the end of the selectors patience during the away Ashes series.
He had another failure to start the series and that was the end of that.
He hadn’t scored many runs before that, and the only way he will get back in at the moment is if one of the top order players falters or they decide they want a more steady start to the innings than David Warner.
If he doesn’t get another shot this year his career may be done, with the likes of Nic Maddison and Jordan Silk coming through the ranks.
Usman Khawaja
Khawaja like Cowan seemed to reach the end of the selectors’ patience during the Ashes series in England and like Cowan might struggle to ever regain his spot in the team.
He will be relying on player’s failures during the Australian Ashes series.
Khawaja has never really realised his potential in the Australian team, and now will probably never get another chance at doing so.
Matthew Wade
Wade’s story is an interesting one, and not necessarily fair on Wade. He was establishing or maybe in some people’s minds has already established himself in the Australian side as the keeper.
Enter Brad Haddin, new Australian vie-captain without playing a Test in a year.
Wade will not get back into the side while Haddin is there as he is the vice-captain and has tons more experience than Wade.
Wade needs to focus on staying the next best wicket keeper in the land so that when Brad Haddin retires he can easily and successfully move back into the Australian wicket keeper position.
James Faulkner
Faulkner hasn’t played many Tests and he doesn’t have much experience in the national arena.
However he probably has one of the best change up balls in the land and has shown that he can keep his head cool under pressure by bowling at the death in one day games and 20/20 games.
He would have to be a chance at coming into the team however if any of the pace bowlers fell down injured.
His other advantages are that he has can bat and score plenty of runs, that is a major benefit to a team especially if the team is struggling.
Mitchell Starc
Starc is another one of the pace bowlers that would be in if a bowler was injured. He is tall, quick and consistent along with being another left armer and bringing the extra variation.
He troubled England’s batsmen at times during the first half of the ashes, and can also bat, which he has proved time and time again and some do consider him a genuine all rounder.
Starc is probably unlucky to miss out.
James Pattinson
Pattinson would be returning from another fairly long term injury, which he picked up during the Ashes series in England.
While he bowled well in that series, I don’t think his body will have built up the fitness for the first Test match and it was either him or Jackson Bird, so I went with Bird.
Chances are one of the pace bowlers will break down or need to be rested during the Australian leg of the Ashes series, so then Pattinson can come in, once he has a lot more bowling and fitness in him.
He is certainly the next fast bowler on the list.
Ashton Agar
Agar made his Test debut with a bang. He came in at number 11 on debut and in his first innings with Australia really struggling.
What proceeded that was an incredible event of Agar getting to 98.
He never recreated that innings, but always chipped in with a handy total at the bottom of the order.
However when you are named in the 8-11 region of the batting order, you are named there for your bowling, and that he didn’t do to a very good extent.
Either way I think we will see him back in the Australian Test team one day.
Fawad Ahmed
Ahmed, really doesn’t have the greatest results, yet the majority of people feel he should be a good shot at being in the team.
However, Lyon is the incumbent and I think Agar is next in line, the last thing the selectors need to do is name an older player who would only have a couple of years in the team anyway, and then watch him fail.
The team would be better off naming Agar and blooding him for the future.
So as you can see, that’s what I think the best 11 is, and there are probably plenty of other notable omissions that I haven’t mentioned. Good luck to the selectors trying to sort this out and getting it right.
They will be criticised either way.