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Former Australian Test captain Mark Taylor has urged the team to go for the jugular against South Africa in the upcoming third Test, urging them to pick five frontline bowlers for the match.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Ashton Agar and batter Matt Renshaw were added to the squad for the SCG Test, with Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc both unavailable after suffering finger injuries in the Boxing Day Test.
However, Taylor believes neither should be added to the XI in Sydney, telling Wide World of Sports yet-to-debut quick Lance Morris should be given the nod, alongside leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson, who is currently outside the 14-man squad.
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“They’ve got an opportunity in Sydney to try a few things,” Taylor said.
“I know people say you shouldn’t try things in Test matches, but with Cameron Green not playing, I’d really like to see Alex Carey bat at six and Australia pick five bowlers.
“They should pick their three quicks, whoever they’re going to be, and play [Nathan] Lyon and probably [Mitchell] Swepson, play the two spinners.
“They can go all out attack with the ball and rely on their top five and Carey to make enough runs to win the Test match.”
Taylor encourages the move based on the Proteas’ recent feeble batting, which has seen them record a high score of 204 in four innings this series.
“Their batting is very gettable at the moment,” Taylor said.
“I’d be looking to attack with the ball and back yourselves in to make enough runs with only five specialist batters.”
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Australia haven’t played five specialist bowlers in a Test for exactly ten years, with Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon and Jackson Bird playing in the 2013 New Year’s Test against Sri Lanka.
However, Johnson’s Test batting average of 22.2 – along with a century – seems a far more suitable option at number seven than current captain Pat Cummins, who averages just 16.37 with the bat in Tests.
Former Australian quick Brett Lee agrees with Taylor that his fellow speed demon Morris should get the nod as part of a five-man attack, saying on Fox Cricket the Western Australian should come in as a like-for-like for the injured Starc, with veteran paceman Josh Hazlewood replacing Green.
“I’m actually going to bring in Josh Hazlewood for Mitchell Starc and I’m going to unleash the ‘Wild Thing 2.0’,” Lee said when asked to give his XI for the SCG Test.
“Lance Morris will come in and I will have Alex Carey bat No.6. So I’m essentially having Hazlewood, Boland, Cummins, Morris and Nathan Lyon.
“I reckon unleash the fast bowlers and Boland will be a nightmare on that wicket.”
West Indies legend and co-commentator Brian Lara agreed, again citing the Proteas’ susceptibility with the bat as reason enough to attack.
“Get the four fast bowlers in and keep the South Africans under 250 every innings and you are going to win – you don’t need all that batting,” he said.
“Keep the pressure on and make sure you play your fast bowlers. Lance Morris coming in is going to be tremendous.”
Morris is the current leading wicket-taker for the 2022/23 Sheffield Shield season, having claimed 27 scalps at an average of just 18.4.
With Starc unavailable, Lee believes Morris’ raw pace, regularly touching 150km/h in the Shield, and wicket-taking nouse makes him the perfect replacement.
“He’s the quickest in the West, but he could be the quickest in Australia period,” Lee said.
He has a beautiful action and nice carry. The thing I like about Morris is that he is an attacking bowler.
“I love bowlers who are aggressive. I love bowlers who aren’t afraid to bowl some short stuff and also some brilliant yorkers, so bring him in.”
South Africa will have to make at least one change to their XI for the third Test, with batter Theunis de Bruyn returning home for the birth of his first child.
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