Sport Today

Clarke
Pattinson
Siddle

Probables :
Starc
Wade
Lyons
Paine or Haddin
Bird

Possibles:
Warner
Cowan
Silk
Faulkner
Agar
Harris
Cutting
Doolan
Watson
Ferguson
Rogers
Coulter-Nile
Smith
Harris
Hughes
Smith
Henriques
Khawaja
Hazlewood
O'Keefe
MJ

Left Field :

Maddinson
Burns
Cummins
Sandu

For me the likes of Warner, Cowan, Hughes & Watson would not be on the
plane. I would not take Smith as I think against spin he is ok but
against the English seam bowlers he will struggle. Silk scored runs in
the SS final but it was painful to watch and he played and missed quite
a lot .

Now there are some more young players from around the Shield that might
join the Left field list........  and I would take all of them

To be quite honest I really have no idea what squad they will end up
with after the shambles in India. Will they totally ignore that form or
wield the axe ?

Those whom I think are certainties;
Clarke
Pattinson
Siddle
Lyons - Aus's #1 spinner by a country mile
Cowan
Warner
Wade. Ok, perhaps not 100%, but close enough. I'd call it 95%.

Other bowling options seem ok. Between Harris, Starc (whom I think will improve with the Duke), MJ, Bird, and any other git I left out.. they'll get a 3rd quick. I'd pick Harris.

Batting... yuk. Call it Warner, Cowan, Clarke. #4, #5, and #6? Goodness. I'd seriously consider calling Punter. Hussey too, if he hadn't already ruled out a comeback.
Watson, Hughes, Maxwell, Smith? Moses? Ha! I can't wait.

I feel sorry for the selection committee.

Having said that, England's not playing too well right now. KP and Swann both injured. The middle order of KP, Bell, Root, Bairstow (when he plays) seem to be struggling to score 100 between them.
Strangely similar to Aus; top 3 (calling Clarke #3, as that might be his new permanent spot) doing well/ok, and the rest poorly.

I hope both teams pick it up asap. We've been blessed with some excellent Ashes recently, and I'd like to see both teams playing at their best (and England winning 5-0).

Three openers, five other batsmen, two allrounders, two keepers, two
spinners and five quicks.

Three openers:
Cowan, Warner
plus one of Silk/Doolan (probably Doolan)

Five other batsmen:
Clarke, Hughes, Watson
plus two of Khawaja/Smith/HusseyD/MarshS

Two allrounders:
Henriques
plus one of Faulkner/Maxwell/Cutting/MarshM

Two keepers:
Wade, Haddin

Two spinners:
Lyon
plus one of Agar/O'Keefe/Maxwell

Five quicks:
Pattinson, Siddle, Starc, Bird, Johnson (assuming all fit)

GM

and that is where our batting is

Cowan averages 32 in 17 matches and bats to slow and fails to put
pressure on the bowlers.  Warner will fail just as much but when he
comes off Australia will have a lot more chance of winning a Test
match... still after India he needs a holiday and I wouldnt have him

Now if Watson is fit to bowl that chances everything, I would have him
opening the batting and maybe Sean Marsh ( I forgot him ) as the other
opener.

Number 3 is a worry

Number 4 would be Clarke

Number 5 Doolan

Number 6 ????????

BUT we need our top 3 to give us a start