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Resting Johnson and Hazlewood against Bangladesh a risky move

3rd September, 2015
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Mitchell Johnson (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Expert
3rd September, 2015
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Australia will reportedly gamble on resting key quicks Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood for the upcoming Test tour of Bangladesh, opening the door for the likes of James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Gurinder Sandhu.

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While it is understandable Australia want to protect the fitness of Hazlewood and Johnson, who have had heavy workloads the past six months, their absence would buoy an improving Bangladesh side.

Fairfax reported that plans were in place to rest the pair from the two Tests in Bangladesh to ensure they are fresh for the home season.

This Australian summer is unusually busy, with Australia set to play eight Tests – three-match series at home against the West Indies and the Kiwis, followed by two Tests in New Zealand in February.

Then in March, Australia travel to India for the T20 World Cup, although neither Hazlewood nor Johnson are guaranteed of earning a spot in the squad for that tournament.

They are, however, key cogs in the Australian Test attack. Both men were below their best in the recent Ashes but they will be perfectly suited by the venues for the first two Tests of the home summer, suggesting they are almost automatic selections.

Those matches will be played at the two bounciest and fastest tracks in the world – the Gabba and the WACA.

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Australia will be aware of the major threat posed by a potent New Zealand side. They also will know that most of the Kiwi batsmen have never experienced anything like facing 150kmh bowlers on rock-hard Test decks.

They will be hoping Johnson and fellow express left-armer Mitchell Starc can rattle the Kiwis in these first two Tests.

Hazlewood, meanwhile, could reprise his role as the miserly seamer to balance out the attack.

He may have struggled to control the swing of the Dukes ball, but Hazlewood has been phenomenally accurate with the Kookaburra.

Probing away on or just outside off, the sharp lift he would gain off those pitches thanks to his 196-centimetre frame would present a major challenge to the Kiwis.

Of course, there is always the prospect that in their absence, other quicks could steal a march on Hazlewood and Johnson by excelling in Bangladesh.

The tour now shapes as a huge opportunity for emerging pacemen Pat Cummins, Coulter-Nile, Pattinson and Sandhu.

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Veteran seamer Peter Siddle reportedly was at risk of being overlooked for the series but now seems very likely to tour as the wise old head among an otherwise inexperienced pace group.

Meanwhile, the five-match ODI series between Australia and England shapes as the venue for a shootout between Cummins, Coulter-Nile and Pattinson.

The 22-year-old Cummins made a heavy impression during Australia’s narrow loss in Monday’s T20 clash against England. Pushing the speed gun up to 153kmh and operating consistently in the high 140s, he rattled several of England’s strokemakers on a benign surface.

Australian coach Darren Lehmann is well known to favour express Test bowlers and with Johnson not playing, the selectors may think Cummins’ pace could overwhelm the Bangladeshis.

Pattinson and Coulter-Nile may not be quite as quick as Cummins but both also appeal with their speed.

Pattinson has played only one Test for Australia in the past two years. However, he showed his ability on slow Asian surfaces during Australia’s disastrous Test tour of India in 2013, proving to be the standout quick from either side.

Sandhu is the bolter, thanks largely to his surprisingly effective spells of off-spin for Australia A in the first-class games against India A in Chennai recently.

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Mimicking former Australian Test player Colin Miller, Sandhu bowled pace with the new ball before switching to tweakers to exploit the dusty strips.

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