The Ashes do not start for four months, but Jason Roy would be lying if he said he didn't have an eye on the Test team's troubled top order. Roy has become a gimme as England's white-ball opener, and next month embarks on a five-match one-day series against Pakistan that precedes the World Cup. But the domestic season has begun with red-ball cricket – and the selectors' search for a convincing Test top three has assumed holy-grail proportions. Roy may yet answer their prayers. Jason Roy would be lying if he said he didn't have an eye on the Test team's troubled top order Roy has become a gimme as England's white-ball opener ahead of the World Cup If he has played little first-class cricket of late, then so had Jos Buttler when he was summoned from white-ball exclusivity last year. Since then, no one has scored more Test runs for England than his 938. It also felt significant that Roy batted at No 3 for the Lions against Pakistan A in Abu Dhabi in November, making 59 and 14. Perhaps most importantly, a one-day international average of 38, with a strike-rate of 105, suggests he knows how to tackle the world's best new-ball bowlers. Put it this way: who would Australia's bowlers least like to come up against at Edgbaston on August 1 – Keaton Jennings or Jason Roy? 'I think my technique has shown to be pretty good against fast bowling early on,' he said. 'I've progressed a lot in my career in the last two years. Test cricket is the great unknown. But, if given the opportunity, let's hope I can succeed. Roy may not bat higher than No 4 for Surrey - hardly ideal preparation to face Australia Roy played only red-ball innings in 2018, including a punishing three-hour 128 against Essex TEST OPTIONS Jason Roy Pros: Strikes the ball as cleanly as anyone in England, and is battle-hardened after 73 ODIs and 32 T20 internationals Cons: Is yet to undergo a thorough examination of his technique, with Test-match fields in place. Rory Burns Pros: Often looked the part during a difficult debut winter in Sri Lanka and West Indies, and has racked up 1,000 runs for Surrey in each of the last five season. Cons: Kept finding strange ways of getting out in his first six Tests, and needs to improve his early average of 25. Keaton Jennings Pros: He's a good team man, has thrived under the helmet at short leg, and has two Test centuries under his belt. Cons: A Test average of 25 gets even worse when you consider his record in England: 319 runs at 17, with a best of 48 from 18 innings. Joe Denly Pros: Made an accomplished 69 from No 3 in St Lucia in February, and is a sharp fielder. Cons: At 33, he has had plenty of time to make an unanswerable case for Test cricket, but a first-class average of 36 with Kent and Middlesex does not quite cut it. 'It's more of a mental switch. The technique side of things stays the same. It's always fun going from T20, or even T10, to a longer format, because I'm under less pressure to score at ten an over. It's actually quite nice to bat and watch the ball, and be relaxed about it.' Alec Stewart, Roy's director of cricket at Surrey, is more bullish. 'Because he's opened in international 50-over cricket, I think he would cope with the stepping-stone up to Test cricket,' he said. 'Obviously the Australian attack is challenging. But Jason's method is a solid one. He's a good strokeplayer and hitter of the ball, but he can actually defend well too. 'All he has to do is adjust – and see it's a red ball coming down the wicket at you. I don't see it as an issue if England do go down that route.' Roy played only five red-ball innings in 2018, including a punishing three-hour 128 against Essex at The Oval in September, and only seven in 2017. But the switch of formats does not faze him. 'If it's a bad ball, it's a bad ball,' he said. 'For me, it's as simple as that.' He may have to be more flexible than ever if he is to get the chance to open for England, probably alongside his county colleague Rory Burns. A hamstring injury means Roy may not be fit for defending champions Surrey's four-day opener against Essex at The Oval next week. There's also question of where he will bat. Burns and Mark Stoneman – another with Test pretensions after he was dropped by England only one game into the 2018 summer – will open for Surrey, while Scott Borthwick is the likely No 3. That means Roy may not go in higher than No 4 – hardly ideal preparation to face Australia's new-ball attack. Would Australia's bowlers least like to face Roy or Keaton Jennings at the top of the order? England may look to counter-attack with Roy rather than hoping Joe Denly comes good Then there's the fixture list. After two rounds of Championship matches, the next three weeks of county cricket will be all about the 50-over Royal London Cup. When the four-day games return, Roy will be taking on Pakistan and preparing for the World Cup. It's possible, then, that his only chance of first-class cricket before the Ashes will be the four-day Test against Ireland starting at Lord's on July 24. The selectors, though, may conclude they have nothing to lose by picking Roy. Stewart compared his ball-striking to Australian opener David Warner, and there is a feeling that England might as well instruct him to counter-attack from the start, rather than hope Jennings or Joe Denly come good. Roy won't be complaining. 'The less Surrey see of me the better,' he said, 'because it means I'm getting selected in the Test stuff.' The race is well and truly on. All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility