WHICH AUSTRALIAN TEST SPOTS ARE UP FOR GRABS IN BANGLADESH?
* No.6: Glenn Maxwell or Hilton Cartwright?
The tricky No.6 slot will come down to a race between two batting allrounders. Maxwell is the frontrunner, having scored his maiden century after replacing the injured Mitch Marsh midway through the tour of India. He also offers a spin option for the tough Bangladesh conditions. But does Steve Smith have faith in his offspin? A total of six overs from two Tests in India suggests otherwise. Selectors have high hopes for Cartwright, who scored 37 on Test debut at the SCG and bowls medium-pace. With an Ashes series on the horizon, they may be temped to see how he fares on the subcontinent.
* Second spinner: Ashton Agar or Mitchell Swepson?
With Steve O'Keefe dumped, Agar appears the most likely to partner Nathan Lyon. The left-arm spinner helped his chances with four wickets on the final day of an intra-squad game in Darwin. He also provides a handy batting option with a first-class average of 26. The uncapped Swepson offers genuine turn and has the backing of spin great Shane Warne but he will likely need a big performance in Australia's sole tour match to unseat Agar for the first Test.
* Wicketkeeper: Matthew Wade or Peter Handscomb?
It would be a big surprise if selectors opted to dump Wade and put middle-order batsman Handscomb behind the stumps. But stranger things have happened and Handscomb, who has filled in for Wade before and continues to fine-tune his glovework, is open to it. Wade was solid in India and has the backing of predecessor and new Test fielding coach Brad Haddin. It doesn't get much tougher than keeping wicket on the subcontinent's turning tracks, so it would take a big leap of faith to remove Wade.
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