Australia have settled on their Ashes squad. Can they beat England … again?

Selection debates – who partners Khawaja, who bats at No.3 and No.6 – will bubble away, but don’t expect confirmation until match eve, when stand-in skipper Steve Smith unveils the XI at a packed press conference in Perth. The Ashes hype, fuelled by a steady stream of former players weighing in across countless platforms, was summed up by Adam Gilchrist’s remarks on Fox Cricket’s T20 coverage on Thursday night. “There has been so much speculation about what the make-up of that team is going to be,” Gilchrist said to Khawaja. “Does [a squad announcement] now allow everyone to chill out a bit, take a deep breath and, particularly for the playing group, settle and focus?” “I hope so,” Khawaja replied. “I don’t think there’s too many surprises. Jake Weatherald, which we kind of expected – he’s been knocking the door down.” As much as Khawaja may have wanted Renshaw in the squad, he conceded Weatherald had mounted a compelling case and deserved to be there. The consensus in cricket circles is that the Tasmania opener wouldn’t have been included unless he was going to play. It will certainly be an occasion. In almost half a century, Cameron Bancroft is the only Australian men’s player to make his debut as an opener against England on home soil, scoring five and 82 not out in a 10-wicket win in Brisbane to begin the 2017-18 series.