The Ashes 2017-18, 1st Test: Australia's predicted XI

It’s party time at the land of Kangaroos as arch-rivals England and Australia lock horns for one of the greatest cricketing spectacle, The Ashes. The 70th edition overall and the 35th hosted by Australia will see a lot of drama unfold. There’s never any dearth or drama when it comes to the Ashes and the same can be said about this edition.

With the Ben Stokes fiasco shattering the hearts of English cricket fans, the Three Lions pulling off something spectacular doesn’t seem a plausible argument. That gives no room for the Aussies to let complacency get the better of them. They still have a good side and with all the focus shifting towards the Aussies, the English might relish a fact of being the underdogs.

There are some new faces who’ll be all pumped up to play their first ever Ashes game. The likes of Cameron Bancroft, Peter Handscomb, and Tim Paine might be featuring in the XI in the first Test, which will be a dream come true moment for them. The stage is beautifully set for a blast of an encounter and no one can think of a better place than the Gabba to embark the Aussie summer.

Openers – David Warner and Shaun Marsh

The skipper will a tough choice with Marsh and Khawaja both being number 3 specialists, but Marsh might be the one who’ll open the innings alongside the swashbuckling David Warner. Marsh has been in good nick for a long time now. Technically sound and a cool head is what Marsh brings to the table and Smith would love to see him play the second fiddle as Warner rolls on.

And there’s the big man David Warner, who might be one of those players who’ll decide the outcome of the series. Warner in good form is a nightmare for the bowlers and the English have experienced his punch previously. His exploits in the longest format are quite amusing and all inspiring and it’ll be interesting to see what he does this time around.

Middle order – Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb, Cameron Bancroft

Usman Khawaja has always been amongst the runs in the domestic circuit. His performances at the International level are commendable as well, which gives his skipper no other choice but to make him bat at the all-important number three position. Steve Smith’s prolific Test record speaks volumes of his caliber and certainly, his role at number 4 is way more crucial than what people assume.

A couple of youngsters will be taking charge of the number 5 and 6 spots. Peter Handscomb has been sensational in the first few games of his career, but the Ashes is a different ball game. Cameron Bancroft is another exciting young prospect, who might be a long-term solution for Australia’s number 6 quandary.

Wicketkeeper – Tim Paine

The entire fraternity was surprised with Tim Paine entering the Aussie squad, which was not well received by some senior cricketers. In the selectors and the captain’s defense, he’s the only choice right now and part-time keepers like Handscomb or Bancroft cannot be trusted with such huge games with due respect. Matthew Wade and Peter Nevill were axed from the side because they failed to church anything from their willow, which will be a lesson for Tim Paine.

Spinner – Nathan Lyon

One of the best spinners in the world, sometimes Nathan Lyon is a little too under-rated. To have picked those many wickets on tracks which scarcely provide assistance to the spinners, his record indeed is splendid. When Australia hosted the Ashes previous time, he made his ball do the talking by bringing in the short-leg, leg-slip, and occasionally, the first-slip into play. It won’t be surprising if he prefers the same tactics of bowling around the wicket again.

Fast bowlers – Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Patrick Cummins

The heart of this Aussie side is their fast bowling contingent, which currently looks invincible on paper going by their form in recent times. Mitchell Starc announced his arrival in the grandest of ways possible by picking two hat-tricks in a Sheffield Shield game. Accompanying him are the two young dynamites of Australia, Hazlewood, and Cummins.

Cummins and Starc will let their pace do the talking and the latter might not back off from having a word or two on occasions. Hazlewood’s sheer consistency and the ability to extract great bounce from the tracks makes him an invaluable resource.