Australian XI selector: Pick your Test side of the summer

Pick your Australian XI to face India in the Vodafone Test Series using the module below

It's a measure of the success and stability of the world No.1 ranked Australian Test team that there's only a few spots up for genuine debate.

The most pertinent burning question, and one that is dividing cricket fans, is who should open in the first Test of the four-match Vodafone Test Series against India on December 17.

Joe Burns, the incumbent, or Will Pucovski the fresh-faced new kid on the block  who has forced a choice upon selectors with his red-hot form in the Marsh Sheffield Shield.

Australia have already named an extended squad of 17 players in these times of biosecurity protocols, bubbles and hubs.

National Selection Panel chairman Trevor Hohns and selectors George Bailey and Justin Langer, the head coach, will have their say much closer to the start of the Test series, with ODIs, T20s and two Australia A tour matches to be played first.

But will their selections match those of the Australian public?

The time has come once again for you to choose your batting order with the Alinta Energy Team Selector tool.

The selector allows you to pick the final Australian XI in any way you see fit. Suggestions will be made as you get to each spot, but the final result is solely yours.

Australia's Test squad includes a quintet of uncapped players all hoping to don the Baggy Green for the first time this summer.

Joining Pucovski in the uncapped brigade is fellow rising star Cameron Green, who has made his case with the bat over the past season and a half of Shield cricket and, officially measured at 198.9cm and capable of exceeding 140kph with the ball, offers a tantalising prospect as an allrounder.

But is he good enough to force his way into the top six purely as a batman? Langer indicated the answer to that was yes, but that doesn't mean he'll select him just yet, while Greg Chappell also called Green the best batting talent seen since Ricky Ponting.

And what of bowlers Sean Abbott, Michael Neser and Mitchell Swepson? Do any of them make Australia's first choice XI?

It might be hard to displace Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, and don't sleep on James Pattinson either, who will be right in the mix.

Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne may be a lock to appear for Australia, but in what order? Should Labuschagne stay at No.3 or should Steve Smith come in at first drop.

Of all the selection issues, this one is a pretty good problem to have, but it still needs solving.

Once you've picked your XI to face India, be sure to share to your various social media channels … and prepare for the animated discussion to begin!

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c) (first Test only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

First Test: December 17-21, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT