Australian selectors will have plenty to think about before the second Test at Lord's following a disappointing showing from Michael Clarke's men in the Ashes opener at Cardiff.

Having lost only three of their past 16 Tests since leaving England shores last time around, the Australians slumped to a surprise 169-run defeat, which has only raised more questions about the team's age and ability to thwart an English side hellbent on revenge.

Australian selectors will be grappling with questions about form, injury and experience as they try to pick an XI to turn around their fortunes in a series set up to be more competitive than most originally assumed.

Shane Watson

Commentators, journalists and late-night cricket watchers are just about at the end of their tether with Shane Watson. Many have called for selectors to make the tough decision and drop the 34-year-old, who was dismissed LBW in both innings and for the 29th time in his career.

These are the facts: Watson averages 35.19 from 109 innings. Since his debut in January 2005, he has scored four centuries and 24 fifties. Compare this to Chris Rogers (four hundreds, 41 innings), David Warner (12 hundreds, 74 innings) and Steve Smith (nine hundreds, 56 innings), and you get a sense of why Watson is a lightning rod for criticism.

His 13 wicketless overs did not give selectors much to work with either given his reputation as a steady and wicket-taking fifth bowling option.

Not for years has a player had more pressure on them than Watson, and with Australia chasing their tail in an Ashes series, selectors may opt for Mitch Marsh to step into the frame given his excellent tour match scores of 30, 101 retired, 169 not out and 37 against Kent and Essex.

Brad Haddin

There has been an abundance of criticism for Haddin after dropping century maker Joe Root in the first innings when he was on zero.

In the discipline of wicket-keeping, a dropped catch is exacerbated by a batsman making the most of their luck. If Root had been dismissed for less than 20, calls for Haddin to be dropped would be muffled.

If selectors were to drop their No.1 gloveman, who saved Australia on many occasions in the last Ashes series with his lower-order batting, it would be a bold move.

To then throw fellow New South Welshman Peter Nevill behind the stumps, tasked with hitting the ground running and making scores in such a high-pressure environment, might be a risk selectors would not want to take.

Mitchell Starc

The sight of Starc wincing mid-way through his follow through would have given selectors a panic attack, but with Peter Siddle and Patrick Cummins waiting in the wings, a tweak of the fast-bowling cartel would make for a smooth transition.

Starc had painkilling injections for his troublesome ankle but managed to push through the pain to claim a five-wicket haul and seven wickets for the match – the most of any player.

The only positive that came out of the loss for Australia was that Starc had two extra days of not bowling to get his body right for the second Test.

Adam Voges

Adam Voges' unbeaten 130 in his maiden Test seems a distant memory after he managed 31 and 1 in his first Ashes Test.

His spooning of an innocuous delivery to short cover in the first innings was no different to that of Michael Clarke later in the Test, but his inexperience at the top level and birth certificate from the 1970s has meant the black permanent marker will always be closer to Voges' name than his teammates.

If Shaun Marsh's two hundreds in practice matches stand for anything, he might be an outside chance of replacing Voges, but one would think Australian selectors will err on the side of faith rather than panic with four Tests remaining.

Twitter: @tomdecent