Australia recall Bancroft, Pattinson and Siddle for the Ashes

Pattinson's last Test appearance came in February 2016, during Australia's tour of New Zealand. The Victorian pacer produced impressive figures of 3/19 in the third innings of Australia's four-day intra-squad warm-up game in Southampton to push his case for Ashes selection. His last Ashes appearance came during Australia's tour of England in 2013, when he finished with seven wickets from two games. Pattinson joins the regular trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Also bolstering the attack is Peter Siddle, who impressed the Trevor Hohns-led selection panel with his form for Essex in the County Championship. The uncapped Michael Neser rounds out the six-man pace attack.

Bancroft is all set to make a Test comeback alongside the experienced Steve Smith and David Warner, after the trio had been banned from international cricket for the ball-tampering episode during the Cape Town Test in March 2018. Bancroft was one of only two batsmen to register a half-century in the warm-up game, as his unbeaten 93 guided the Hick XII to a five-wicket win in a low-scoring affair.

Usman Khawaja, whose fitness issues have been alleviated by the reassurance of skipper Tim Paine, could return from the hamstring strain that kept him out of Australia's semi-final defeat to England in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019. Alex Carey's strong performances in the same tournament have been overlooked, as Matthew Wade took the reserve wicket-keeper slot.

Marcus Harris, who played each of Australia' six Tests last summer, and finished as the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield, with 1188 runs, has been included alongside Travis Head, who scored a century in Australia's last Test, against Sri Lanka in February this year.

Mitchell Marsh took his spot as the leading all-rounder, after his five-wicket haul in Southampton, while Marnus Labuschagne, too, found a place. The experienced Nathan Lyon is the lone specialist spinner.

Australia's last Ashes triumph in England came 18 years ago, when Steve Waugh's men trumped the hosts 4-1 during the peak of their hegemony over world cricket.

**Squad:**Tim Paine (c, wk), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner