Adelaide Oval specialists Stephen O’Keefe and Chadd Sayers should be the leading contenders to join the Australian side for the third Test against New Zealand with Mitchell Johnson retiring and reports that Josh Hazlewood will be rotated out of the team to protect his fitness.
Most of the talk about their potential replacements has focused on pacemen Peter Siddle and James Pattinson, and spinner Fawad Ahmed.
Yet left-arm tweaker O’Keefe and swing bowler Sayers both have incredible records at Adelaide Oval.
O’Keefe is a wizard at the ground, which is his most successful venue in first-class cricket having taken 31 wickets at an average of 19, including three five-wicket hauls.
Sayers has snared 47 wickets at the brilliant average of 23 in Sheffield Shield games at Adelaide, thanks to his ability to land the ball on a five-cent piece while swinging it both ways on the sleepy pitch.
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor suggested it should be Victorian Ahmed who should be considered for Adelaide, yet the leg spinner has struggled at the ground where he has taken just four wickets at an average of almost 50.
Over the past four Shield seasons, O’Keefe has been comfortably the most consistent bowler in the country, taking 100 wickets at an average of 22. That kind of form deserves to be rewarded, particularly when you factor in how potent he has been on the benign Adelaide drop-in pitch, which will offer very little assistance to the fast bowlers.
Siddle may have bowled well in his last Test but the vastly different conditions he will face in Adelaide cannot be overlooked. The slow, seaming deck on which Siddle thrived at The Oval was tailor-made for the Victorian. Having been reduced to a 130-135kmh seam bowler, he has repeatedly struggled for impact on Test surfaces over the past two years.
In his previous 12 Tests before The Oval, Siddle has taken just 26 wickets at an average of 45. He has not bowled waywardly, he has just had no penetration, with his strike rate blowing out to more than 90.
The last time he played at Adelaide, against India last year, he took 2-109 for the Test – with both of his wickets being tail-enders – and was promptly dropped from the Test side.
All of India’s top six played him with absolute ease, which resulted in him being used sparingly over the match – he bowled only slightly more than half the number of overs sent down by each of Johnson and Ryan Harris.
If Australia are to go down the pace route then Pattinson and Sayers should be the leading contenders. Pat Cummins, Jason Behrendorff and Nathan Coulter-Nile all have fitness issues, while Andrew Fekete has been dropped from the Tasmanian side.
The 25-year-old Pattinson is a better long-term option than 28-year-old Sayers, but the selectors should consider a horses-for-courses selection strategy.
That would vault Sayers to the top of the queue as the wily swing bowler has been phenomenally successful on the dead-flat Adelaide pitch, on which most visiting – and home – Shield pacemen have struggled.
The right-armer does not have the pace of Pattinson, operating mainly in the 125-130kmh bracket. But no other bowler in domestic ranks swings the bowl as expertly or builds pressure like Sayers – his economy rate of 2.6 runs per over in first-class cricket is the best of any current Australian paceman.
New Zealand’s batsmen enjoyed the amount of loose offerings they received from the Australian bowlers at the WACA. A miserly, cunning operator like Sayers would be a perfect partner for Mitchell Starc’s all-out attack style on a benign Adelaide pitch.
Pattinson is similar to Starc and Johnson in that he poses a heavy wicket-taking threat but often is expensive. He also has played very little first-class cricket over the past two-and-a-half years because of several serious injuries.
The young Victorian has been effective in his two Shield games this summer, grabbing eight wickets at 25. The question now is whether he is physically prepared for Test cricket after just two first-class games since his last long layoff.
Pattinson’s career has been so ravaged by injury that it would be wiser to take the safe route and give him a solid run in the Shield before thrusting him back into Tests.
With Siddle’s lack of penetration in Tests making him a poor option, and Cummins, Behrendorff and Coulter-Nile injured, Australia’s pace options for Adelaide are limited.
Combined with the fact Adelaide’s deck is unlikely to offer assistance to the fast men, surely two frontline quicks and all-rounder Mitch Marsh would be sufficient pace options.
Sayers is better suited to the Adelaide pitch than Siddle, while O’Keefe, with his extraordinary consistency and Adelaide Oval mastery, is a better choice than fielding a fourth pace option.
Australia have been rigid in their selection strategies in recent years, often refusing to pick bowlers based on pitch conditions. Now is the time to change tack.
Don Freo
Guest
Chuck in some tour tons and a Test 99 and a Shield 92. (Not to mention his blitzy Matador) And you think those numbers indicate form that doesn't justify Oz selection.? Now perhaps everyone can see what the selectors are looking at.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Actually Don, since the start of last summer, S. Marsh and Handscomb both have averaged 57 in the Shield but Handscomb has scored 4 tons to Marsh's 3.
Don Freo
Guest
They have had plenty of "good looks" at those boys. The selectors are doing ok.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
For me, replacing Khawaja briefly was the absolutely perfect situation to blood a youngster like Bancroft or Handscomb. They could have come in knowing that they were only going to get 2 Tests, regardless of how they perform, which would take a lot of the pressure off them. Then, down the line when the selectors are looking for a replacement for Voges, they would have already had a decent look at Bancroft or Handscomb.
Don Freo
Guest
Just not quite as prolific and consistent as Marsh.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Handscomb's consistency cannot be questioned...he's made 4 tons in his past 13 Shield games, that is prolific and consistent.
Don Freo
Guest
How does this become Marsh vs Klinger? But since you ask about Shield form, I cite his last 3 innings. Those first 3 failures cost him his place to Khawaja. Since then, he has done what can be done. Score runs. Regarding Klinger, that 91 average does not reflect his average score each innings. It reflects 2 not outs. He, like Marsh, has failed 3 times. 3 of his last 4, in fact. You ask about his Shield form, I...and the selectors...say it has warranted Test selection for these past 2 seasons.
Simoc
Guest
Sayers is a good state cricketer. Anything for a headline eh Ronan! Maybe you could learn to play cricket.
matth
Guest
Says who? His career and recent stats are similar. By definition up to this point in their careers they have been equally good long form batsmen. Of course Marsh looks much better, but that counts for nothing.
matth
Guest
We will just have to agree to disagree Don. You pick stats to show good, selectable form. you use his last three innings, but neglect to mention his Shield average this year is only 33 because prior to those two good innings, he had three failures. You cite one day form. Marsh has always been an excellent limited overs player, even when his Shield and Test results are poor. You use a 45 average in England/West Indies, neglecting to mention this was mostly due to tour matches. So I have to disagree with you assertion as to Marsh's form. I have nothing against Marsh personally, now that he has been selected I hope he can become a success at Test cricket in the future that you believe he can be. However I think it is just as likely that he will have one or two good scores a bunch of failures and continue to average mid thirties.
Joel
Roar Rookie
James Pattinson is as close as you'll get to a like for like replacement for Johnson, as in someone that bowls fast, aggressive spells, can get at a batsman's body etc.
jamesb
Guest
"What is Bancroft’s average season? 28.5 so is 35 for Marsh is no Good then Bancroft is even worse." Tbf to Bancroft, he is still in his early 20's and averages around 36. Still early days for Bancroft. As for Marsh, he is 32, and we all have a fair idea what sort of a player he is. Marsh is not a youngster with improvement and development still to come. In fact, there are cricketers out there that retire at 32.
mmacter
Guest
Handscomb is a pretty good wicketkeeper too.
davros
Guest
actually Cowans batting has impressed me this year and I would have gone that way ...I think he is batting quite well ...has the benefit of experience and knows his game way better as well !
davros
Guest
I just watched Sayers in Brisbane ...I think he took one wicket for the match and completely failled to capitalise on being given the new ball ! The only redbacks bowler with any penetration and I think leading the shield tally was Mennie . Think Sayers took 3 for the match last shield game . You blokes are kidding aren't you ?
Andy Hill
Roar Pro
Finally some reason from the crowd. I agree totally John. Whilst Marsh would not have been my pick (I would have brought in Maxwell at 5), his selection is perfectly reasonable. In all likelihood, he will maybe make one or two OK scores, nothing to outshine what Khawaja has achieved in the past two tests, and will be dropped again for the Boxing day test. A decent outcome for all involved. There is nothing wrong with giving the young, up and coming batsmen a chance to show what they can do in the Shield this season and then giving them a go once Voges retires and vacates the number 5 spot, or M Marsh fails and vacates the number 6 spot.
Don Freo
Guest
He's not as good.
Don Freo
Guest
In the last week, scores of 92, 64 and 33. Starred in the Matador with 2 centuries. Averaged 66 last shield season. Averaged 45 in England /Windies tour. You single out his one test in England when the whole team went for 60 runs. Is Marsh, alone culpable there? Matt, I have pointed out these numbers often. The selectors know what they are looking at. You might choose to pull out career figures that are not relevant to now...because they suit your opinion. But, know that is what you are doing. The selectors...and I...look at his current form, look at that dominant start to the season in the Matador, look at his sound efforts on tour and his last Shield season. He is in good, selectable form. By all means, disagree but recognize that it is just because you don't like him. The form argument is unsustainable.
soapit
Guest
especially considering its possibly only for 1 test before kawaja returns. much better to give a yound guy exposure instead of giving a single game to someone who's time may be run out before he gets the chance to use the extra experience for a lengthy stint.
Matth
Guest
I don't know, the selectors promised to love him til the end of time.