The dry SCG pitch lends itself towards Australia picking two spinners for the New Year’s Test for the first time in six years, but Sydney’s weather forecast has created an intriguing selection dilemma ahead of the third and final Test against South Africa.
West Australian spinner Ashton Agar, who played the most recent of his four Tests in 2017, was rushed into the squad last week to accompany veteran tweaker Nathan Lyon.
Help the McGrath Foundation make this NRMA Insurance Pink Test one to remember by buying your Virtual Pink Seats today >
On Monday afternoon, the Australians were greeted by a dry and patchy SCG wicket, with Nathan Lyon closely observing the deck before training.
Players were unsure what to make of the “two two-paced” wicket which more closely resembles what Australia can expect in the subcontinent next month for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, certainly more so than any other Test pitch they’ve encountered this summer.
The most recent Sheffield Shield match at the SCG was dominated by the tweakers, with 21 of the 40 wickets falling to spin.
Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood, returning from a side strain that sidelined him for three consecutive Tests, predicted the SCG pitch would turn but warned selectors might leave a final decision to the last minute.
“There’s less grass and it’s quite a lot drier, I think footmarks will come in early on in the game,” Hazlewood told reporters on Monday.
“There’s patches of grass, there’s patches of dry … it will definitely be two-paced.
“I think it will be up and down as well and will take turn. It’s different to everywhere in Australia and I think that’s a good thing. It’s probably a good Test to play leading into India.
“I’m not the best reader of a cricket wicket, but yeah it probably lends itself towards (two spinners).
Australia has not picked two spinners on home soil since Steve O’Keefe and Lyon bowled in tandem during the 2017 New Year’s Test against Pakistan.
Agar, who has scored three first-class centuries, could bat at No. 7 in Sydney if selected, allowing four additional bowling options if wicketkeeper Alex Carey slides up to No. 6.
Speaking to CODE Sports last week, SCG curator Adam Lewis hinted that adding a second spinner to the side would benefit the hosts.
“The way our soil is and the way it’ll break up, I daresay it’d be good if they went with a couple of spinners,” Lewis said.
“I think it will take turn later on in the game, but thankfully I look after the pitches and not the team selection.”
However, Sydney’s frustrating weather threatens to spoil Agar’s long-awaited Test return, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting rain for the first four days of the New Year’s fixture.
The mild temperatures could tempt national selectors to play one strike spinner and slot Matthew Renshaw or Marcus Harris in the top order. In such a scenario, uncapped West Australian quick Lance Morris, initially added to the squad as a like-for-like replacement for Mitchell Starc, is a strong chance of making his Test debut.
“There’s so many options depending on what the surface offers, in terms of the balance of the attack,” Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald said earlier this week.
“It could be two spinners, two quicks.
“We could play a slightly more aggressive team with Alex Carey going to six and play five bowlers. Or we could just play what we call a normal structure for Australia, where it’s three quicks and one spinner and some part-time spin options to help out. That’s really where we’re at.”
Agar’s left-arm orthodox spin could be a dangerous weapon in India next month — O’Keefe famously claimed a 12-wicket haul in Pune with a similar bowling style six years ago.
Although it would be beneficial to give Agar some valuable Test experience before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, McDonald declared the immediate priority was defeating South Africa in Sydney, which would essentially book Australia’s spot in this year’s World Test Championship Final.
“You’re still wanting to pick the right team for the right conditions, you don’t want to play in spite of the conditions in terms of the team you pick,” McDonald said.
“We feel like the left-arm orthodox can be successful in Sydney and also as we venture to the subcontinent.
“Would we like (Agar) to have had more first-class opportunities? There’s no doubt about that. But we feel as though his skill-set would fit perfectly in the subcontinent. He’s a very mature player now and we feel like if he was to get that opportunity in India or firstly here, that he would be able to step up into that role.”
If selectors wanted to unleash “The Wild Thing” in Sydney this week, Hazlewood and Scott Boland would be fighting over the final spot in the starting XI.
Boland has been a marvel in the Test side since making his debut last summer, taking 28 wickets at 12.21, but Hazlewood is adamant his 217 Test wickets were enough to ensure the pecking order hasn’t been altered.
“It’s always good to have pressure and every time Scotty’s played, he’s done remarkably well,” Hazlewood said.
“With the Ashes coming up it’s a big one (tour) that he’s looking at, and he’s a similar bowler to myself and Pat. We could potentially all play there together on a wicket that might seam and swing. It’s great to have options and it keeps you on your toes.”
Australian captain Pat Cummins is renowned for announcing the starting XI the day before a Test, but selectors may want the additional 24 hours to assess the pitch and conditions.
The third Test between Australia and South Africa gets underway at the SCG on Wednesday morning, with the first delivery scheduled for 10.30am AEDT.
