The Australian selectors will be making at least three changes for the Boxing Day Test with Todd Murphy getting first crack at becoming Nathan Lyon’s long-term successor as the frontline spin bowler.
Western Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson is a chance to play his first Test in more than four years after earning a recall after an impressive recent comeback from injury while Test captain Pat Cummins will sit out the MCG Test on Friday.
Cummins made an early return from his back injury to lead the Aussies to the series-clinching win in Adelaide and after opting out of this match, he is rated a good chance of turning out on his home ground on January 4 for the SCG series finale.
His absence as leader is offset by Steve Smith’s comeback after the star batter was forced out of the third Test due to a bout of vertigo.
The Aussies needed to find a replacement for veteran spinner Nathan Lyon after he suffered a hamstring injury on day five while fielding in the deep.
He has undergone surgery for the tear in his right leg and will be out for “an extended period”, according to a Cricket Australia statement.
Murphy has won the race over Matt Kuhnemann and uncapped Corey Rocchiccioli to be Australia’s spinner.
He has the added benefit of local knowledge at the MCG and the 25-year-old has already got seven Tests on his resume with 22 wickets at 28.13 from the 2023 tours of India and England.
Kuhnemann has performed well when used on the subcontinent while Rocchiccioli has been the form spinner in the Sheffield Shield ranks over the past 12 months.
There were no other surprises in the 15-man squad announced on Tuesday with Richardson a step closer to a return to international cricket.
After a string of injuries, the 29-year-old speedster has been managing his workloads this summer in a bid to be available for the closing matches of the Ashes.
He bowled 20 overs for a CA XI against the England Lions in Perth last month and followed that up with 4-35 and 1-41 when Australia A caned the same opponents in Brisbane recently, sending down 26 overs across the two innings.
Richardson spent time with the Aussie camp in Adelaide as part of the plan to ramp up his bowling with work in the nets and he has only lined up for one BBL match with the Perth Scorchers.
Jhye Richardson. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
He has taken 11 wickets in three Tests with 5-42 in his most recent appearance in the Ashes Test in Adelaide in 2021.
South Australian seamer Brendan Doggett, who did well in the opening two matches of the Ashes, and Queensland veteran Michael Neser, who coincidentally took 5-42 in his most recent outing at the Gabba, are also in the squad in the battle to be the third quick alongside Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.
Smith will slot back in at No.4 in the middle order which means Usman Khawaja will need to be relocated or he could lose his spot despite scoring 83 and 40.
Josh Inglis has failed to deliver an innings of substance at No.7 while allrounder Cameron Green has been out of form with the bat, leading to calls to bring Beau Webster back into the line-up.
England are expected to drop Ollie Pope to give rising star Jacob Bethell some game time and they have the option of bringing him straight in at No.3 or reorganising their batting order with Will Jacks going up.
Frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir is a chance to play in Melbourne after Jacks’ off spin largely failed to trouble the Aussies in the past two Tests.
Australian squad:
Steve Smith (c)
Travis Head
Jake Weatherald
Marnus Labuschagne
Usman Khawaja
Cameron Green
Alex Carey
Josh Inglis
Beau Webster
Michael Neser
Todd Murphy
Mitchell Starc
Jhye Richardson
Scott Boland
Brendan Doggett