Australia weakened by Rogers loss: Simmons

West Indies coach Phil Simmons believes the absence of Chris Rogers will be sorely felt by the Australians in the opening Test in Dominica starting Wednesday.

Since his return to the Test team for the 2013 Ashes, Rogers has played 19 straight Tests, proving the perfect foil to the aggressive David Warner at the top of the order.

In those matches, he’s scored four hundreds and is currently on an Australian-record equalling run of six straight Test fifties.

That consistency will be missed for the series opener against the Windies, after Rogers was ruled out with concussion following an incident in the nets in which he was struck on the helmet.

"He's a very important part of the batting line-up," Simmons said.

"He's been the glue with the others coming in and playing a lot of shots around him ... that could be a big miss for them."

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Mitchell Johnson meanwhile insists Australia are preparing for a difficult challenge against the eighth-ranked Windies.

“I wouldn’t be taking too much notice of the rankings,” said Johnson in a Fox Sports column. “The Windies are coming off a five-wicket win against England in Barbados and are led by a very good coach in Phil Simmons.

“I rate their bowling attack. Jerome Taylor is back to his best after a five-year absence from the Test team. He is complemented well by the experience of Kemar Roach and Jason Holder, who is a very smart bowler.”

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As the make-up of Australia’s XI for the first Test remains a closely-guarded national secret, there is also speculation about what XI Simmons will go with as the Caribbean side attempt to win just their second Test against the tourists this century.

Just like Australia, the Windies are yet to decide whether they will pick two spinners or three fast bowlers at the Windsor Park venue, which is renowned for assisting slow bowlers.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul's omission by selectors also leaves a huge hole in the hosts' batting line-up.

Highly-rated 21-year-old right-hander Shai Hope, who debuted as an opener in the Windies' last Test against England, is expected to move down to his preferred middle-order role and take Chanderpaul's spot.

That then leaves a question mark as to who will open alongside Kraigg Brathwaite, with uncapped pair Rajindra Chandrika and Shane Dowrich believed to be the men most likely.

Chandrika made a first innings half-century and a first-ball duck in last week's tour match in Antigua against Australia while Dowrich, who isn't a natural opener, made two impressive half-centuries.

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Simmons says all 14 players remain in the mix despite the Test being less than two days away from starting.

"I don't know. It (the pitch) looks a little bit different from yesterday," he said. “It looks hard, bit patchy but I'll wait until tomorrow and see what it's like before we make that decision.”

Simmons is, however, confident the furore over 164-Test veteran Chanderpaul's axing hasn't proven to be a distraction at all.

"It's about the team and we've got to just make sure we're ready as a team for the Test match on Wednesday," he said.

WEST INDIES (Possible XI): Kraigg Brathwaite, Shane Dowrich, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shai Hope, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin (c), Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Veerasammy Permaul.