Pace rotation on the cards for home Ashes summer

The prospect of Australia carrying an unchanged pace attack throughout next summer's Ashes appears slim, with Trevor Hohns calling for a closer monitoring of weary fast bowlers.

Australia picked frontline quicks Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for four Tests in four weeks last summer, backing allrounder Cameron Green to bowl some overs and help keep everybody fresh.

But India grinded Australia's star-studded attack into submission, batting out a draw at the SCG then hauling in a target of 328 at the Gabba to cap a series victory.

Having bowled the tourists out for just 36 in the opening Test of the series, the Aussies bowled more than 440 overs in the third and fourth Tests, with just a four-day break between games.

Starc's pace, swing and potency was down in Brisbane, while he was sent for scans on some niggles after the final Test.

Chairman of selectors Hohns stopped short of admitting his panel erred in not turning to the likes of James Pattinson during the series but conceded Australia must look at their management of fast bowlers.

"Particularly now, when most Test matches are programmed pretty closely on the heels of each other. We can't ask them to continually back up, day after day after day," Hohns said.

"It's only natural they are going to get tired.

"Sure, they might feel OK within themselves, but we've really got to monitor that a bit harder."

Express paceman Pattinson, who on Friday retained his national contract despite not playing an international match in the preceding 12 months, might have played at the Gabba if fit.

But he suffered an untimely rib injury after the Boxing Day Test.

"In hindsight, maybe he could have been used last year," Hohns said.

"We still consider him a prime candidate to play Test cricket for us in the coming 12 months - depending on form, whether he's injured, or other fast bowlers are injured.

"He's very important to us ... our premier back-up fast bowler."

Australia successfully rotated their fast bowlers during the 2019 Ashes in England, using five quicks in total, with Cummins the only paceman to play all five Tests.

They picked largely the same bowling attack of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Nathan Lyon during the 2017-18 Ashes at home, with only Starc missing the fourth Test due to injury.

The schedule for the 2021-22 summer is yet to be announced but it’s expected to consist of a one-off Test against Afghanistan and then five against England, with the home season to immediately follow the T20 World Cup in India.

In addition to Pattinson, Jhye Richardson also earned a contract on Friday and could come back into Test calculations this summer alongside highly-rated Queenslander Michael Neser and NSW seamer Sean Abbott.

Hohns also offered words of encouragement for much-improved legspinner Mitch Swepson, who wasn't offered a national contract despite impressing at domestic level in all formats.

"He can certainly challenge Nathan (Lyon). Whether he will ever take his place (in the Test side) while Nathan is fit, who knows," Hohns said.

"I can certainly see a bright future."