Who will bat three for Australia this summer?

Joe Burns? Shane Watson? Phil Hughes? Usman Khawaja? Steve Smith? Who should bat at first drop for Australia if incumbent Alex Doolan is dumped as a result of this Pakistan tour?

Over the past two years, Australia have trialled no less than seven players at first drop – Watson, Hughes, Khawaja, Doolan, Ed Cowan, David Warner and Michael Clarke. Could Smith be the eighth?

I will get to that debate soon but first let’s address a rare piece of bright news for the Aussie Test team: Ryan Harris is back bowling in competitive cricket.

The 35-year-old spearhead made his bowling return as captain of Toombul against the University of Queensland in Brisbane first grade cricket on the weekend.

On Saturday Harris batted at four and, in a good sign that he is recovering well from the knee surgery he underwent in March, he spent more than two hours in the middle compiling 55 from 105 balls.

He was kept in cotton wool on Sunday, bowling seven overs to return 0-14. Harris also played in Toombul’s previous match but did not bowl, batting at first drop in their first and second digs and making scores of 23 and 36.

The veteran is reportedly targeting the second round of the upcoming Sheffield Shield competition for his return to first-class cricket. In that round Queensland play Western Australia starting at the WACA on November 8. Harris would then have up to three Shield matches to prove his fitness and press for selection for the first Test against India starting on December 4 in Brisbane.

But to return back to the more immediate issue, which Australian batsmen is best equipped to replace Doolan at three if he is dumped?

Prolific South Australian opener Phil Hughes seems to be the most popular choice among Australian pundits and fans. While he was poor during his past two stints in the Test team – averaging 27 across 19 Tests – Hughes’ recent form has been difficult to overlook.

In the winter, he cracked two double tons for Australia A – one in a first-class match against South Africa A and the other in a one-dayer against the same team.

He also made 65 for Australia in their sole warm up match in the UAE against Pakistan A.

Hughes, though, is a career opener and would seem better suited to re-enter Test cricket in that role, most likely when Chris Rogers retires at some point over the next 12 months or so.

What then of Watson’s claims to bat at first drop? The burly all-rounder has prospered in that position, scoring 749 runs at 42 from 10 Tests, including two of his four career centuries. He moved down to six when Doolan came into the side in South Africa but has always been adamant that his best position is in the top order.

Watson is, however, returning from yet another injury and given his fragile chassis could he cope with the burden of batting at three and being the fifth bowler? Concerns about just this issue were behind the selectors decision to move him down the order.

Khawaja, meanwhile, has worked his way back into contention through a prolific Shield season last summer and consecutive blistering campaigns in the domestic one day competition.

The elegant Queensland strokemaker has laboured in his previous stints in Test cricket, averaging just 25 across nine Tests. He has, however, never been allowed a decent run to establish himself in the side, having already been dropped three times in his Test career.

His Bulls teammate Joe Burns is a smoky to snare the number three spot for Australia off the back of a sparkling 2013-14 season which saw him crash 760 runs at 58 in first-class cricket.

With 2359 runs at 41, including six centuries from 40 matches, the 25-year-old has one of the best first-class records of any young Australian batsman.

Burns’ good touch has continued this summer, making 387 runs at 55 for Queensland in 50-over cricket, including a ton against Ireland.

However, Smith would be my pick to take over from Doolan if he is jettisoned. As I explained in an article for The Roar earlier this year Smith has become arguably Australia’s most reliable batsman in clinch situations and has the all-round game to adapt to first drop.

So will Smith become the next cricketer to join the merry-go-round at number three? Who would you choose Roarers?