There will only be one round of Sheffield Shield matches, beginning on October 28, before the Test squad for the summer opener, against New Zealand at the Gabba from November 5, is unveiled.

These shield contests will be day-night games and feature the new pink Kookaburra ball, to be used in the historic day-night Test against the Black Caps in Adelaide, in late November. The opening two Tests will be traditional day-only matches with the red ball.

It's hoped the pink-ball Test will be a success and embraced by other nations, reigniting crowd and television-viewer interest in the long-form of the game in countries where it is sagging.

However, it's understood the opening round of shield matches have put a kink in how national selectors ideally would view batting and bowling form, because many of the Test stars have not played with a pink ball before, and it will be a time of adjustment and potential trial and error – should they all play.

Pat Howard, Cricket Australia's boss of team performance, has said player workloads will also be monitored heading into the round.

Therefore, players know runs and wickets through the ongoing one-day series – coming on the back of the cancellation of the Bangladesh tour for safety reasons – will carry more weight than they typically do, despite one-day form generally being considered inferior to the traditional red-ball shield format.

Amidst this scheduling quirk, the national selectors have much to ponder in a rebuilding side that former Test star Dean Jones has said he is "very worried about". One area of focus for the selectors will be to find a new partner for opening batsman and vice-captain David Warner.

With Chris Rogers one of a handful of players to have retired after the Ashes, West Australian pair, the uncapped Cameron Bancroft, and the inconsistent but smooth-moving Shaun Marsh, are vying for the role, along with Queenslander Joe Burns, who some consider to be an outsider at this point.

Two of that trio would have opened in Bangladesh this month, as Warner was nursing a thumb injury.

Marsh and Bancroft began the one-day series with centuries against South Australia, and had an opportunity to further press their claims against NSW on Saturday.

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has publicly backed Marsh to fill the Test role. Now 32, and with a modest average of 33.11 after 15 Tests, and having been used in a range of spots, this looms as Marsh's final chance to forge a Test career.

Skipper Steve Smith has surprised many by indicating he wants to bat at No.4, which would appear to give Usman Khawaja the opportunity to return to the side for the first time in two years at No.3, having also had that chance denied by the Bangladesh cancellation. He is nursing a hamstring injury but is expected to be fit for Test selection.

James Pattinson's impressive form for Victoria has the robust fast bowler ready to press for squad selection, with Mitch Starc, nursing bone spurs, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Josh Hazlewood among a list of robust pace options.

The Australian squad will gather for a two-day red-ball camp at Hurstville Oval, Sydney, from Tuesday, as part of the build-up to the Test series.

The Black Caps have just spent several days practising with the pink ball under lights, with players likening it to the white ball used in one-day cricket. They leave for Australia on October 20.