Who needs to cement their place and who could be a hero for the home side?
The Ashes start this week and there are careers on the line not just the prized urn a the Australian side look to exact a measure of revenge over the all-conquering English.
After being able to put up a fight for a sessions or so during the recent tour, the Aussies will be out to show they are not going to a doormat for another win by Alastair Cook and his men on hostile soil.
fanatix looks at five Australian players who will need to have massive performances this summer if they are not only to cement their place in the side, but also help them get the Ashes back.
Mitchell Johnson
As fascinating an enigma as you find will in international cricket today, Mitchell Johnson gets another reprieve to his international Test career after being called into the current squad.
Despite showing good pace and, more importantly, line-and-length during his performances in India, Johnson still has that worrisome combination of being a match-winning fast bowler and not knowing if the ball will head towards second slip.
Johnson could be the X-factor the Aussies are looking for this summer or his form could be a worrying distraction they don’t when they need almost everything to go right if they are to win against the odds.
Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon had his placed questioned during the English summer when new coach Darren Lehmann pulled a rabbit out of a hat and handed teenager Ashton Agar his Test debut in the first match of the series.
While history will show Agar’s heroics with the bat in that game, his lack of bowling strike-power showed through, and the decision could be argued as the Australian’s first mistake of the series.
Australia has made a habit of not giving spin bowlers long of enough time in the Test side to establish themselves, but Lyon has to step up and show why he must play in every Test this series.
Brisbane, in the past, has been a happy hunting ground for the slow men, with the extra bounce from the pitch making close in catches more likely.
And while Lyon will never hold the duel title of wicket-taking threat and run-restricting bowler held by England’s Graeme Swann, he must do enough to show he is the country’s top tweaker or risk being cast aside for another unknown in the form of leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed.
David Warner
The combative, nuggety left-handed dasher will be hoping his name is in the headlines only for his runs this Ashes campaign and not his late night drinking bust-ups with English players.
Warner’s punch-up with Joe Root got the English summer series off on the wrong for the Australian side as they forced to battle criticism before a ball was even bowled.
This series will be the ultimate test for Warner’s, apparent, new-found sense of maturity with the harsh glare of the Australia media to be shining on him at every turn.
Warner has shown excellent form in domestic cricket in recent weeks, with several blistering innings again reminding cricket fans, and the England attack, what he is capable of on his day.
Shane Watson
If anybody in Australia has spare pair of hamstrings they aren’t using, Mr. S Watson would gladly take them off your hands.
The all-rounder has again been battling strains in the lead-up to the first Test, with the hectic schedule of the national team again not agreeing with him.
If Watson cannot bowl in the first Test match or two, the question that has to be asked, is his batting going to be good enough for him to play as a specialist in the top order?
Reports out of Australia suggest Watson has rolled the arm over during the past weekend in a bid to see if will be able to contribute in the field.
However, with the outcome of this series still being Australia’s to chase, they are better off to have a fit Watson batting, rather than a broken down all-rounder.
George Bailey
The Tasmanian looks set to make his Test cricket debut in the first game this week, after forcing his way into starting Xi calculations with his sizzling form in India.
Scores of 85, 92 not out, 43, 98 and 156 got the attention of selectors and the 31-year-old is set to take his place in the vital middle-order, which has been forced to do plenty of the heavy lifting after early wickets have fallen in the past year.
Expect the English attack to try and test him early to see if his mental skills back up those with the bat.
With a solid to good series this summer, bailey has the chance to lock up a place in the side for the next two to three seasons.