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Steve O’Keefe has painted the Australian selectors into a corner with his match figures of 10/64 and top-scoring with an unbeaten 78 against a Sri Lanka X1 at Colombo.
O’Keefe was the difference between the two sides in the three-dayer leading into the first Test at Pallekele, starting Tuesday.
For decades, various Australian selection panels have been loathed to play two recognised spinners together, preferring to stick to a set pattern of three pacemen, a medium pace all-rounder, and a sole recognised spinner.
In recent years the latter has been offie Nathan Lyon, and he’s done a superb job with career figures of 195 Test wickets at 32.87.
But this tour is in Sri Lanka, where spin has dominated for decades.
And to make that fact even more dominant, Cricket Australia has had an attack of brains and signed the world’s most successful bowler Murali with 800 Test wickets to give Lyon and O’Keefe his local knowledge.
Murali has worked a treat with O’Keefe dominating in both digs with 5-43 off 12.2, and 5-21 off 6.5.
But O’Keefe, at 31, has only played two Tests since he debuted for NSW in 2005 – the first in Dubai against Pakistan, and the second against the West Indies at the SCG last January.
His return of 7-499 at an average of 40.28 is in no way indicative of his ability.
But then he wasn’t going to get too many chances with Lyon first choice spinner.
All things being equal, this first Test against Sri Lanka will see the two finger spinners back in action together for a third time – Lyon the right-armer, O’Keefe the left – the perfect combination.
Selecting O’Keefe earns the selectors a double bonus.
He’s an excellent fieldsman, and a very worthy lower order batsman.
In his 61-game first class career with NSW, O’Keefe has a top score of 99 with 1817 runs at 30.28
His latest 78 not out against the Sri Lanka X1 took a patient 139 deliveries with nine boundaries.
The Australian team that played in Colombo was, in batting order – Joe Burns, Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Lyon, and Jackson Bird.
For Pallekele, vice-captain David Warner should return from a shoulder injury to replace Shaun Marsh at the top of the order, while Josh Hazlewood should take over from Bird with the new ball.
Leaving Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon to spin Australia to victory.