Predict the XIs for the first Ashes test.

[Red]

Exact winner gets all the glory.


Warner
Burns
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Patterson
Paine *+
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazelwood

 

[Cow]

TBC
TBC
TBC
Root
Buttler
Stokes
Bairstow
TBC
TBC
Broad
Anderson

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Exact winner gets all the glory.


Warner
Burns
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Patterson
Paine *+
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazelwood

Pretty much what I would go for too, fitness permitting. Half a chance Jhye Richardson could find his way into the starting XI, but for now I would stick with the same attack that was so effective against England last time

 

[stephen]

Exact winner gets all the glory.


Warner
Burns
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Patterson
Paine *+
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazelwood

It basically picks itself doesn't it?

 

[Red]

It basically picks itself doesn't it?

Guess the contentious ones might be Smith and Warner returning, Warner in particular. Would have been more questions over Starc if he hadn't bagged some poles in that last test. Also could argue Hazelwood vs Richardson to some extent.

As far as I am aware there are also some injury concerns around all three of Smith, Warner and Starc.

Harris vs Burns is still a question in my eyes, and while Head made some runs last test I think there's still some valid questions about his technique long term.

 

[Gnske]

Warner
Burns
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Patterson
Paine
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood

Easy choice, have Richardson as 12th. Don't mess with it for anything stupid.

Suspect England will change very little except for the Curran/Woakes choice, and the top three will be made of two poor saps making runs in county in addition to Keaton Jennings.

 

[Burgey]

Head made some runs last test I think there's still some valid questions about his technique long term.

Stahp plz.

 

[NUFAN]

1. David Warner
2. Joe Burns
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Steve Smith
5. Travis Head
6. Kurtis Patterson
7. Tim Paine
8. Pat Cummins
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Jhye Richardson
11. Nathan Lyon

Josh Hazlewood - Marnus Labuschagne - Marcus Harris - Peter Siddle - Matthew Wade

 

[Starfighter]

So weird how England are favourites and we haven't a clue what their batting order is going to look like or who the third seamer is going to be, meanwhile Australia has a much more obvious XI yet most here would say they'll probably lose.

 

[vcs]

England favorites for me ATM. But you just don't know which England turn up.

 

[Burgey]

So weird how England are favourites and we haven't a clue what their batting order is going to look like or who the third seamer is going to be, meanwhile Australia has a much more obvious XI yet most here would say they'll probably lose.

Yeah it’s a more obvious XI but it’s also a more obviously **** one in English conditions.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I'd go with Red Hill as far as the convicts line up. As for the series winners I will go with.

Burns
Roy
Pope
Root
Buttler
Stokes
Bairstow
Moeen
Archer
Broad
Anderson

 

[Burgey]

**** that’s a junk top three. I thought we were struggling*.

* we are

Is that Joffra Archer you have in your side?

 

[Starfighter]

Seeing more and more sanctimonious articles and comments about why Smith and Warner shouldn't be picked popping up over the interwebz. Just stfu.

 

[stephen]

I'd go with Red Hill as far as the convicts line up. As for the series winners I will go with.

Burns
Roy
Pope
Root
Buttler
Stokes
Bairstow
Moeen
Archer
Broad
Anderson

Burns and Pope are Australian players. But why you'd want to bat a leg spinner at number 3 is beyond me.

All jokes aside, is this the first time that two opening batsmen from different sides share the same name?

 

[morgieb]

Seeing more and more sanctimonious articles and comments about why Smith and Warner shouldn't be picked popping up over the interwebz. Just stfu.

I haven't really noticed any articles really? Unless you're looking at stuff like The Roar which shouldn't count.

As for comments...people are morons.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Probably the same idiots that thought they should have been banned in the first place

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Wood is making a splendid case for Ashes inclusion.

 

[Chubb]

Burns and Pope are Australian players. But why you'd want to bat a leg spinner at number 3 is beyond me.

All jokes aside, is this the first time that two opening batsmen from different sides share the same name?

Pretty sure there was an England v SA test with Alastair and Stephen Cook.

There was also an NZ-Zim test where both captains were called Taylor (Ross and Brendan)

 

[AndrewB]

The brothers Alec and Frank Hearne opened the batting for England and South Africa in the 1892 Test (and George and Jack Hearne were also in the England side).

Arthur and Bruce Mitchell played on opposite sides of the 1935 England v SA Oval Test.

Collie Smith opened the batting in the second innings of the 1957 Lord's Test, in which Donald Smith opened for England. (Collie died aged 26; Donald is still alive aged 95).

Devon and Graeme Smith both played in the 2005 Georgetown Test.