Australia have options galore for their first Test team in Pakistan on Friday but if they follow the local knowledge, they may end up sticking with their traditional line-up.
After picking a bigger-than-usual 18-man squad for the three-match Test series part of the tour due to the threat of COVID-19, it gives Australia flexibility to replace players quickly if the virus strikes.
The extended squad, plus the utility provided by all-rounder Cameron Green, means interim coach Andrew McDonald could look to move away from the usual line-up of five specialist batters, Green at six, Alex Carey as the keeper then a front-line bowling attack of three seamers and Nathan Lyon to provide spin.
Mitchell Marsh is another all-rounder option although his bowling has fallen away in recent seasons and would not be considered a realistic option as a third seamer if two spinners were used in Australia’s first visit to Pakistan since Mark Taylor’s team won a three-Test contest 1-0 in 1998.
If the first pitch at Rawalpindi looks like it will be spin friendly, uncapped leggie Mitch Swepson and Ashton Agar will battle it out to be Lyon’s accomplice, meaning Cummins will be forced to choose between Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland to be his second paceman.
Pakistan have favoured pace over spin in the five Tests played on home soil since returning in 2019 after two decades hosting matches in the UAE for security reasons.
In their return match, played in December that year, they picked seamers as their four front-line bowlers and barely bowled much spin apart from a few overs from part-timers in a rain-ruined drawn game at Rawalpindi.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah played in the second match of the series at Karachi but pace took 16 of the 20 wickets to fall as Pakistan smashed Sri Lanka by 263 runs.
Pakistan hosted Bangladesh for what was supposed to be a two-game series in 2020 and after their fast bowlers accounted for 16 wickets in the first Test win, the second match was cancelled as the COVID-19 pandemic started causing global havoc.
They hosted South Africa for two Tests last year, bringing left-arm finger-spinner Nauman Ali in to partner Yasir while also playing three seamers with the tweakers taking 14 wickets between them on a turning Karachi deck in the first match.
Game two was in Rawalpindi and after fielding the same attack, the spinners only took one wicket between them as the pace battery sealed an emphatic 2-0 series triumph.
Australia’s batting line-up looks set in stone. Usman Khawaja, despite a couple of low scores when promoted to open on a green Hobart wicket, is set to partner David Warner with Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head forming the middle order.
The No.6 slot appears unlikely to be taken from Green by Marsh although there’s a slight chance Australia could pick Agar, easily the best batter among the bowlers, as the second spinner in a five-man bowling line-up and promote him or keeper Alex Carey up the order.
Mitchell Swepson (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Cummins will play, so will Lyon, which means the remaining two spots are up for grabs between Hazlewood, Starc, Boland, Swepson and Agar.
Hazlewood only played the first match of the 4-0 Ashes triumph due to a side strain but he and Cummins are the only two Australians in the top 10 of the ICC’s Test bowler rankings.
Boland was the find of the Ashes but with only three Tests on his resume, is unlikely to get the nod ahead of Starc. You can bet that Shane Warne will tweet before day one to say he’d probably leave Starc out of the side if he were a selector.
So that means if the Australians don’t think the pitch will turn enough to gamble on handing Swepson his debut, then Starc will get yet another opportunity alongside his three NSW comrades Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon.
Australia’s options in Pakistan
The likely, traditional XI
- David Warner
- Usman Khawaja
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Travis Head
- Cameron Green
- Alex Carey
- Mitchell Starc
- Pat Cummins
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
The two spinners XI
- David Warner
- Usman Khawaja
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Travis Head
- Cameron Green
- Alex Carey
- Pat Cummins
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
- Mitch Swepson
The five bowlers XI
- David Warner
- Usman Khawaja
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Travis Head
- Alex Carey
- Ashton Agar
- Mitchell Starc
- Pat Cummins
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
The radical all-rounder heavy option
- David Warner
- Usman Khawaja
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Mitchell Marsh
- Cameron Green
- Alex Carey
- Ashton Agar
- Pat Cummins
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
Kevo
Roar Rookie
As much as I find Warne annoying and wrong in nagging Stark....I would have Boland in before him. Absolute in form work horse in tough conditions with line and length accuracy...Regardless I suspect they'll go with your 2 spinner option of Swepson and Lyon along with Cummins, Hazlewood and Green. Radical heavy all-rounder option is tempting except I think Marsh would probably not be a genuine all rounder in these conditions.....maybe a few overs to break things up and to buy a wicket but that's about it...Is he worth selecting as a batsman...Head , pardon the pun, deserves the nod.
John66
Roar Rookie
Wouldn't he just...
John66
Roar Rookie
Agar is simply not worth dropping a specialist batsman for.My rating of Agar v Swepson for the 2nd spinner spot is immaterial. Its replacing a top 6 batsman with a guy averaging 27 in shield cricket and less than 20 this season. Not sure this first test pitch will need 2 spinners but later in the series perhaps. If you read my first reply to your post, it was respectful and gentle, merely pointing out why our thoughts differ. My next reply was blunter because you obviously didn’t comprehend the first, although it was perfectly clear. You should note, I never said you were f…ing stupid, but rather your proposal was poorly thought out. I clearly laid out why I thought that. Like many others, I have more concerns around our batting than our bowling, so weakening that batting makes no sense to me. Enjoy the test series, despite your overreaction. It should be interesting on several levels.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
YES! YES! YES! YES! Don Freo would love that.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I didn't know you could get drunk on a Cornetto? I was wasting my time on my Drumsticks.
Clear as mud
Guest
thanks John. so the counter is you don't rate Agar, but will play him in the crucial second spinner role on this spinning deck. i tend not to go into overdrive in criticising other posters, but have copped a couple of these "jesus you are f-ing dumb" sprays in the last week, so (a) shove your dumb logic re Agar up your mute button; and (b) I'm outta here, to enjoy the actual test.
Clear as mud
Guest
the whole Cummins and mates is a confection. like my Cornetto
Clear as mud
Guest
when Brearley was bearded and releasing the hostages in 79-80, after the 3rd Cornetto on the Hill i was prone to sing "up there, Khomeini", which was pretty offensive in many ways, but kinda made sense to my 15yr old brain at the time.
John66
Roar Rookie
Maybe drop Warner and Khawaja and open with Marsh and Agar... in for a penny... ????
John66
Roar Rookie
Win the toss and if we are better than 7- 240, we are miles ahead of where we would be by dropping a batsman and playing 3 spinners. Josh will play unless he is ruled our by medical staff. Cummins and mates are happy with Boland but not inner circle happy. I think, on subcontinent pitches, Scott's more skiddy deliveries might be harder to combat than Josh's hit the deck type. Either way, playing one of these two, won't be a mistake.
John66
Roar Rookie
Not at the expense of weakening the batting. Warner overseas is hlaf the batsman he is at home. Smith is out of form and oppositions have found a way to get him out. Marnus made runs during the summer but was dropped more times than Khawaja has been from the test side. Head is only ever one, of his many wild uncontrolled swipes from being out and neither Green nor Carey have lived up to their batting reputations thus far. While you might like to try and twist my comments to support yourself, they don't. I'll make it really simple. It's one of the most poorly thought out ideas anybody could read on this page, despite 2 of the authors options being right out there.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Well someone has to open them. And the Four N Twenty wrappers.
Rusty Brooks
Roar Rookie
All excellent suggestions. :laughing:
Rusty Brooks
Roar Rookie
Unless there’s an injury to Green, I think Marsh will likely spend the test series opening Gatorade bottles.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
In our 948-part match preview look at the upcoming Pakistan tour we deep-dive the bowling options. Episode 412 poses many interesting questions. Do we: #1: Resurrect Tiger O'Reilly #2: play Agar, Swepson, Lyon, Starc, Boland, Hazlewood, Cummins. 4 bats, wk & 7 bowlers. To shore up the bowling Green will do back up. He sure will be needed as the attack looks a little not quite there. And if Green and all the bowlers fail with the bat we still have Carey and 3 specialist bats. #3: get the "Up there Cazaly" guy to record a song singing the virtues of Lillee and Warne to be played thru speakers when we bowl. ------- In Episode 413 we interview the maternal Great Grandmother's of all the touring party.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Or Marsh Marsh to open the batting and the bowling.
Clear as mud
Guest
You just made my point even as you seemed to deny it. Either Swepson or Agar alone is a big risk. So cover the risk by playing them both.
Mitcher
Guest
Still ‘sooking’ Gee-ride? I hope you’re finding small ways to improve your outlook on life. This constant distressed state you seem to be in can’t be healthy. Chin up Geezle.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
OK. Had a quick Google. The image that came up, which can only assume is valid, looks straw colour, but well in tact re covering.
John66
Roar Rookie
Sorry, but there is nothing to suggest Agar is such a vital option that we significantly weaken our batting by doing any of your options. Happy for him to play as a 2nd spinner and use Marnus as our leggie option but I don't think our batting in subcontinent conditions is strong enough to risk weakening it at all.