Australia's first Test form guide

Steve Smith

Past five matches (all formats): 0, 72, 164, 59 & 40, 8 & 16

Smith is coming off a duck and has just gone through his first Test series in more than two years in which he's failed to score a hundred. Funnily enough however, he's in form. The unorthodox right-hander made a stoic 48no on day one in Hobart when his team fell apart around him, was dreadfully unlucky to be run-out for 59 in Adelaide, then blazed a career-best 164 in the ODI opener against the Kiwis. He made 117 and 42 for NSW in the pink-ball day-nighter against Queensland at the Gabba in October.

David Warner

Past five matches: 156, 119, 24, 11 & 47, 11 & 20

Warner's blazing 97 in the first innings of the summer opener against the Proteas in Perth looked set to be a sign of things to come, but the dynamic opener's form dropped off for the remainder of the Tests. He bounced back spectacularly in the ODIs against the Black Caps, carting consecutive hundreds to break Ricky Ponting's Australia record for the most one-day tons in a calendar year. Like his skipper, he hit a hundred in the pink-ball Shield match in Brisbane around seven weeks ago.

Matthew Renshaw

Past five matches: 38 & 2, 10 & 34no, 108 & 50, 38no, 88

The 20-year-old showed a maturity beyond his years in Adelaide, facing almost as many balls on Test debut as Australia managed as a team in the first innings in Hobart. His selection came off the back of a composed hundred and half-century double for Queensland in the Shield, which was his first match back from a knee injury. Now back on his home patch, the England-born Brisbane boy will be confident of making a greater impression in Test number two.

Usman Khawaja

Past five matches: 157 & 61, 145 & 0, 106 & 17, 4 & 64, 4 & 97

An average of 65 across his past five matches underlines the form of Khawaja, the classy left-hander who has returned to the Test team with a bang. Australia's standout batsman against the Proteas also made a hundred/fifty double in Perth against the Warriors last week and returns to his adopted home soil for the opener against Pakistan, where he made a maiden Test hundred last year.

Peter Handscomb

Past five matches: 17 & 30, 54 & 1no, 215, 60, 78 & 10

Handscomb earned his Test selection with some superb Shield form and duly repaid the faith with a dashing half-century in his maiden innings in the Baggy Green. He hit the winning runs a couple of days later but failed to kick on from a couple of starts in each innings of Victoria's Shield clash against Tasmania last week. The right-hander has an excellent record against the pink ball but will be put to the ultimate Test against the likes of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz.

Nic Maddinson

Past five matches: 80 & 0, 0, 6 & 33, 116 & 0, 3

Somewhat worryingly, Maddinson has made ducks in three of his past four matches (he was undone by a Kagiso Rabada special on Test debut in Adelaide) but the aggressive Blues middle-order man seemed confident when he touched down in Brisbane that a change of fortune is on the horizon, citing his Shield 80 against the Redbacks as a key knock. “Regardless of what (colour) ball it was, that (80 against SA) was an important innings for me … and I think the experiences that I've gained from failing in pink-ball games has probably helped me in what I can prepare for this week."

Matthew Wade

Past five matches: 14, 11 & 2c, 38, 4c/1s & 4 & 2c, 6 & 1c & 1c

Wade was solid with the gloves in his return to Test cricket, more than three-and-a-half years after losing his place following some question marks over his 'keeping. Ian Healy called out one missed opportunity against the Proteas that he put down to slow footwork, but outside of that, he was solid behind the stumps and even completed a neat stumping off Nathan Lyon. He missed out with the bat to continue a season of below-average contributions but gave everyone a timely reminder of his hitting power in the opening ODI, blazing three sixes in one over in an impressive cameo late in the innings.

Mitchell Starc

Past five matches: 3-34, 2-52, 1-37, 2-78 & 4-80, 3-79

Starc started the summer with a bang, taking four wickets on day one of the first Test in Perth, before going slightly off the boil by what have become particularly high standards. The left-arm spearhead said upon landing in Brisbane that he knows he's still to hit his straps since his injury return, a fact he viewed as "exciting". And there will be plenty of patrons agreeing with him at the Gabba if he can get the pink ball swinging at his searing pace in humid conditions under lights.

Josh Hazlewood

Past five matches: 1-22, 2-42, 3-49, 4-68 & 2-41, 6-89

Hazlewood was superb against the Proteas and his record in Australia underlines just what a vital part of the bowling attack he's become: he now has 50 wickets from 12 Tests at 27.08 on home soil. Glenn McGrath rates him the best quick in the world and be it with red ball, pink ball or white ball, the right-armer's uncomplicated recipe of bowling consistently in good areas is earning him wicket after wicket. In fact, in the two years since his debut – also at the Gabba, when he took seven against India – only Ravi Ashwin and Stuart Broad have taken more Test wickets than the New South Welshman's 94.

Nathan Lyon

Past five matches: 3-63 & 2-43, 1-45 & 3-60, 0-141 & 0-32, 0-57, 2-38 & 0-146

Lyon appeared short of confidence and bereft of ideas when the South Africans – and particularly Quinton de Kock – took to him in the opening two Tests, but Australia's most successful off-spinner has ridden the highs and lows before. He drew on his experience and came back impressively in Adelaide, finding sharp turn and bounce during a crucial spell late on day three to turn the Test in Australia's favour. Five wickets followed in the Blues' nail-biting Shield loss to South Australia, and now he goes to Brisbane where he's collected 24 wickets at 23.96 in five Tests.

Jackson Bird

Past five matches: 2-70 & 3-68, 2-57 & 1-54, 2-60 & 3-69, 2-68, 3-75 & 3-59

As has come to be expected of him, Bird has been ultra-consistent this summer though he hasn’t snared that big haul he'd undoubtedly be craving. The right-arm quick chipped in with some vital wickets in his Test return in Adelaide and his consistent line and length, and ability to wobble the pink ball around, has him well placed to make an impact in what would be his maiden Test appearance in Brisbane.

Chadd Sayers

Past five matches: 3-66 & 5-27, 2-81 & 0-59, 0-79 & 2-43, 6-32 & 5-44, 2-51 & 4-57

Twenty-nine wickets in five Shield matches is the reason Sayers is part of Australia's Test squad, and the South Australian is similar to Bird in that consistency is his strength. Asked what makes him such an effective wicket-taker – he destroyed NSW last week with 5-27 in the second innings – fellow Test squad member and Blues batsman Nic Maddinson said simply: "He bowls six balls (per over) in the same area for 25 overs – that's about it." Selectors will likely be cautious to change a winning line-up, but Sayers is clearly not far away from a Test debut.  

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