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Next gen: ODIs open a window to our Test future

The Australian Test team is in a state of flux not seen since 2007 when Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer called it a day.

Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers are gone, officially, while Shane Watson is as good as finished.

Places need to be filled and limited-overs cricket is often a breeding ground for Test talent.

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Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin are two men who spent some time cutting their teeth in the ODI ranks before going on to carve stellar Test careers.

And with Australia playing six ODIs (one against Ireland and five against England), we take a look at the squad and see if we can pick those most likely to make the grade in the five-day format.

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Marcus Stoinis

It’s difficult to believe, given the Vics boast David Hussey, Cam White and Rob Quiney, but it was Stoinis who was their leading run-scorer in a Sheffield Shield-winning season. Stoinis is an all-rounder, but after taking just seven wickets he’ll need to give his medium-pacers some attention in the nets if he’s to develop that crucial second string.

Ashton Agar

The 21-year-old West Aussie burst onto the Test scene with that stunning 98 on debut at Trent Bridge in 2013. Since his axing he’s been honing his craft for WA in the Shield, where his left-arm orthodox spin snared 31 scalps. That meant he was the second-most prolific spinner after Fawad Ahmed, who took 48. Agar, of course, has a luxury Ahmed does not – time.

Joe Burns

Burns was perhaps unlucky not to make the Ashes squad after two Tests last summer against India. After two failures in the Boxing Day Test, he bounced back well in Sydney with a pair of half-centuries. He took his disappointment on the chin, going back to Queensland and racking up some big scores in the Shield.

Pat Cummins

The 22-year-old looked like a star in the making when he made his debut in Johannesburg as a teen. He claimed seven wickets – with names like Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers among them. Since then a succession of injuries have limited his output to the limited-overs domain. If he can keep his body in good condition, he’ll be a huge asset for years.

Nathan Coulter-Nile

The longest shot on this list to see a Test cap, but the rangy West Aussie continues to impress in the Shield and the shorter forms of the game. After an injury-interrupted summer, he returned to be a key cog in WA’s run to the Shield final.

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