Last year, around this time, Australia were desperately looking for a Test opener. And they ended up settling for a compromise. As Nathan McSweeney was moved out of his natural position of No 3 and thrown into the deep end against a raging Jasprit Bumrah. The experiment lasted all of three Tests before they turned to an x-factor option in Sam Konstas.

Here we are nearly 12 months on, and Australia are still looking for a Test opener. Ironically, at the expense of Konstas, who after an incredibly dramatic beginning to his Test career has struggled to keep up. And this time, they have gone with a more conventional option, in starting the Ashes summer with a specialist opening batter In Jake Weatherald.

One who isn't just used to facing the new-ball at the top of the order, but also an opener who's probably been the most consistent at doing so in the country over the last year or so.

While the uncapped Weatherald's inclusion is the biggest talking point in the Ashes squad announcement, there are some who still aren't confident that it automatically means he will get his Baggy Greeen come November 21 in Perth.

That might depend even now on Cameron Green's bowling loads over next week in Perth, with chief selector George Bailey confident that the all-rounder will deliver between 15-20 overs for Western Australia against Queensland.

With Green back to regular bowling duties, Weatherald will indeed get to live his childhood dream of donning a Test cap for his country. Allowing the incredibly in-form Marnus Labuschagne to retain his position of No 3, which he lost to Green earlier in the year. But if any question marks linger over the towering Western Australian with regards to his contributions with the ball, then Beau Webster who is in the squad of 15, might yet be able to keep his spot at No 6.

Somehow though, despite the intrigue around multiple batting positions this summer compared to last year, Australia still seem a more settled batting unit.

Largely though because of the current form that their premier batters, Labuschagne and Steve Smith are in. Compare this to when they were preparing for the Border Gavaskar Trophy last November. The two most consistent batters for the Aussies were Usman Khawaja at the top and Mitch Marsh in the middle with Travis Head like always floating at No 5 as the impact player.

And it showed in the opening Test in Perth, where Bumrah ran roughshod over their largely out-of-form line-up. That included completely dismantling Khawaja's confidence and eventually knocking Marsh out of the team. It wasn't before Smith found his dreamy touch of old halfway through the series that Australia officially began to bounce back to clinch the series.

Now, Smith has arrived from New York like he's still where he was towards the end of the 2024-25 season with regards to his batting. As was evidenced in his remarkable Shield ton last week against Queensland. Labuschagne, meanwhile, has been in rare form, probably the best ever in his career, having clocked up 5 centuries in 8 innings across formats. That in itself provides a sense of relief and assuredness to Australia's batting ambitions for the Ashes.

Khawaja has started the Shield season brightly too even though much more challenging tests lie ahead for him against the likes of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. And with Weatherald coming into the mix in great touch too, there seems to be a lot more optimism around how the home team will start this Test summer.

So much so that the much-publicised absence of captain Pat Cummins seems more like a footnote on a day Weatherald's inclusion as a specialist opener at the top made the headlines, for all the right reasons.