Usman Khawaja and James Pattinson set for Ashes start; Cameron Bancroft in contention
Starc, Hazlewood and Siddle vying for final spot in Australia pace attack at Edgbaston
Tuesday 30 July 2019 14:26, UK
Usman Khawaja and James Pattinson are set to play for Australia in the Ashes opener, while Cameron Bancroft could also earn a recall.
Khawaja has not played a game since injuring his hamstring against South Africa in the World Cup on July 6 but has been inked in to bat at No 3.
Pattinson, meanwhile, is poised for his first Test appearance since February 2016, with the paceman set to join Pat Cummins, the No-1 ranked bowler in Test cricket, in the pace attack, leaving Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle vying for the final seam-bowling spot.
Bancroft could also play a Test for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March 2018, with Australia head coach Justin Langer praising the opener's "extraordinary development".
"Khawaja will definitely be in, he's fit, ready to go, he's playing well," Langer said. "He's a seasoned pro for us, he averages 40-odd in Test cricket and he'll bat No. 3.
"It would be a great story if [Bancroft] comes back into the team. His development after what happened in Cape Town has been extraordinary.
"We know what the reception is going to be. There's nothing we can do about it. We don't know [how he will cope] but we'll find out. He's a good kid and as tough as anyone you could meet.
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"To endure the scrutiny of the past 14 months, especially the first part of it, I think he's had a pretty good dress rehearsal."
On Pattinson, who has struggled with injuries in recent years, Langer said: "[He's] just a very, very good bowler. I'm sure [Australia captain Tim Paine] will work out ways of using him.
"It's just nice to see him back. It's a great story, isn't it? Coming back from where he was as a young bowler, the back surgeries, to more than likely being selected for this Test match.
"Then there's probably three to be fair, Starcy, Peter Siddle and Josh Hazlewood, for one spot [in the bowling attack]. All three are great or very, very good bowlers."
Bancroft and Marcus Harris are competing to open alongside David Warner - who is fit to play despite bruising his knee in training on Monday - while Matthew Wade is one of the contenders for a middle-order berth after scoring heavily for Australia A this summer.
"Like in all these selections, there's literally a case for 17 blokes to play," said Langer.
"The opening partnership's going to be really tough, between Cameron and Marcus, really hard. They've both got a really strong case.
"I think Wade's fought his way back into selection because of that tenacity to keep getting better and he's knocked so hard on the door."
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