Australia has named a 15-player squad to contest the looming Ashes series against England, starting December 8 at the Gabba.
And while it certainly answered some questions, there are just as many still up in the air.
Here’s what we’re yet to find out.
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WILL THE BOWLING ATTACK CHANGE?
Australia has been lucky enough to maintain a consistent bowling attack for some years now.
While others have occasionally been brought in as injury or rest cover, the Aussies almost always now run with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood as the three quicks, plus Nathan Lyon as the spinner.
In the 15-man squad selectors included Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser.
Richardson, 25, has played two Tests while the older Neser is yet to make his debut, although has been involved in Australian squads in recent years.
Test legend Michael Taylor says those two players are a very real chance of getting a call-up during the summer.
“The Test matches are over about five or six weeks, the five matches. There’s no doubt Starc, Hazlewood, and Cummins are all pretty fit these days, and they’ve been around a while… but there’s every chance one might get a niggle, or they might want to rest one,” Taylor told Wide World of Sports.
“So now that James Pattinson has retired that next spot is up for grabs, and you never know in this game when that might be.”
Australian selector George Bailey also confirmed he wants a “squad first approach” taken towards the team this summer, implying all 15 squad members need to be ready for selection in the XI.
IS THE OPENER SPOT LOCKED IN?
It looks like Marcus Harris will retain his spot at the top of the batting order alongside David Warner.
The left-hander has played 19 innings for Australia and averages only 23.77. But chief selector Bailey all but confirmed Harris’ spot in the team even before the squad was announced.
“Harry’s had limited opportunities in the past, and he’s been in and out a bit, so we’d love nothing more than for him hopefully to get an opportunity to get an extended run at it,” Bailey told radio over the weekend.
The other batter in the 15-man squad capable of opening is Usman Khawaja.
He is much more experienced at Test level than Harris, and averages 40.66 in the arena.
Khawaja has only opened the batting seven times for Australia in Tests but he averages 96.8 when doing so, having scored two big centuries in the process. His usual spot for Australia is No.3, where he has played 66 innings and averages 37.19.
Harris may be locked in but the numbers all point to Khawaja getting the nod.
WHO BATS AT NO.5?
If Harris definitely is locked in, that only leaves one spot in the batting order undecided.
Selectors still haven’t settled on which player fills the No.5 spot, and with Matthew Wade and Mitchell Marsh left out of the squad altogether, it’s down to a race in two.
Khawaja and Travis Head appear to be battling it out for the position, with young all-rounder Cameron Green owning a mortgage on the No.6 slot.
Head played two Tests against India last summer but averaged only 20.66, and was subsequently axed from the side in favour of Wade, who filled the No.5 slot at the SCG and the Gabba.
During the 2019 Ashes tour in England, Head played four of the five matches and could only average 27.28. That’s the only time he has played against the Poms in Test cricket.
Khawaja has played 12 Ashes Tests and also struggled against the old enemy, averaging only 29.85.
Interestingly, Khawaja has never batted No.5 for Australia. He’s only opened, batted three, four, or six.