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Australia won the first Test against Pakistan at the Gabba yesterday by 39 runs, thanks to Nathan Lyon and Jackson Bird.
Not the offie Lyon and paceman Bird, but Lyon and Bird batting 10 and 11 in the first dig.
They came together after Peter Handscomb was bowled for 105, leaving Lyon and Bird both scoreless.
66 deliveries later, Lyon was dismissed for 29, Bird was unbeaten on a career high 19, there was a no-ball from Wahab Riaz and the pair had put on a priceless 49 runs for the last wicket.
Yesterday Pakistan looked like setting a new world record successful chase of 490.
But if either Lyon and Bird had been dismissed quickly, Pakistan would have won the first Test.
So the scene is set for a bumper Boxing Day Test at the MCG, with the Australian team selection a major point of interest.
In a post-match interview, skipper Steve Smith let the cat out of the bag when he said an all-rounder will be in the discussions for Melbourne.
That could only mean Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, or Glenn Maxwell – surely not the latter.
My pick would be Head, in keeping with the selectors’ newly promoted youth policy.
Head’s a 22-year-old left-handed batsman, right arm offie, and a brilliant fieldsman, who also keeps.
There’s one potential problem with Head depending on who he replaces – Nic Maddinson, or Nathan Lyon.
If it’s Maddinson, the status quo of seven left-handed batsmen in Adelaide and the Gabba would remain, if it’s Lyon that would be eight lefties.
But how could the selectors banish Lyon when he was played such a major role with the bat for Australia to win?
Those sort of decisions are never forgotten, nor forgiven.
So the safest selection course after back-to-back Test wins would be to send the same 12 to the MCG, with Chad Sayers the drinks waiter.
As the team ain’t broke, don’t fix it.