Yet when it comes to getting a read on the upcoming Ashes, that Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are all missing for this tournament is far more noteworthy than whatever happens at Gaddafi Stadium this weekend.
However, of more significance is that ageing fast-bowling trio’s ongoing unavailability and the question it naturally provokes – how many of these guys will actually make it to the Ashes?
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Read MoreIt’s a question worth asking, especially for England, considering these are three bowlers who have taken 264 Ashes wickets between them. And with this being the first major tournament all three have missed since 2011, there’s a dawning realisation within Australian cricket that the golden trio’s time might be at its end.
At this point, it’s worth noting exactly why each is currently out.
Cummins, especially as his country’s captain, and Hazlewood are more worrying from an Australian perspective. Both missed the recent tour of Sri Lanka, with Cricket Australia’s statement admitting they were in need of “an extended period of rehabilitation” from respective ankle and hip injuries.
Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will all miss the tournament (Photo: Getty)
Having been pulled out of US Major League Cricket on Thursday despite having signed a four-year deal with San Francisco Unicorns, expect Cummins to also sidestep this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).
But after sustaining a side strain during that series opener, he has played just one of the next six Tests, with a calf injury sustained on his comeback for the third Test against India in Brisbane ruling him out for the rest of the series and a subsequent hip issue seeing him miss the tour of Sri Lanka. That’s three injuries in two months.
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Read MoreThat included the 2021-22 Ashes, when he was not seen again after going down with a side strain during the first Test of the series in Brisbane. One warning to England, though, might be that they were still hammered 4-0.
“Everyone knows he’s in that best three bowlers in Australia, or best four adding Nathan Lyon, but you need him on the park. So, Australia might have to consider picking the best conditions for Josh Hazlewood to have an impact and rotate the rest around that.”
For those who love the game, it would be a fitting end to see Hazlewood, Starc and Cummins have one last Ashes hurrah together on home turf next winter.
England fans might disagree, yet the chances of all three playing the majority of those five Tests look remote at this stage.
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