Smith sticks with speed
Starc back as Aussies opt for pace
Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc will return from injury for the fifth Test at the SCG starting today.
Starc missed the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne with a bruised heel and was replaced by Jackson Bird.
Cricket Australia confirmed Starc’s return yesterday with Bird to drop out of the side.
Australia’s team is otherwise unchanged from the fourth Test.
Selectors had considered naming Ashton Agar as a second spinner but decided to stick with Nathan Lyon as their only slow bowler.
Australia missed Starc’s pace and aggression on a benign MCG pitch in a match that petered out to a draw.
Australian skipper Steve Smith revealed yesterday that the SCG wicket was carrying more grass than expected, pushing the thinking back towards sticking with three pacemen in the Aussie bowling attack.
That meant the only way that Agar would have played would be batting at No.6 in the place of Mitchell Marsh and that was never likely given the all-rounder hit a breakthrough 181 two Tests ago.
“The wicket’s got a fair bit of grass and looks to be a pretty good wicket. I’d say we’ll probably opt for just the one spinner,” Smith said.
“Nathan’s done a terrific job throughout this series and I’d say we’ll go down that route.”
It was widely expected that Austalia would play twin spinners in Sydney.
Starc bowled in the nets on Tuesday in a bid to convince selectors of his fitness, and Smith said the devastating fast bowler was “ready to go”.
“Starcy has pulled up pretty well this morning and he says he’s ready to go. I guess that’s a good indication,” Smith said.
Smith himself sent a scare through the Australian camp when he missed a net session on Tuesday with a sore back.
He confirmed he was suffering from stiffness, but remains confident of taking his place in the final Test of the summer.
“It’s a little bit stiff but nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” Smith said.
“I’ll have a good hit today and a catch and I’ll be fine tomorrow.”
Moeen Ali, meanwhile, could earn a stay of execution with fellow England all-rounder Chris Woakes suffering an injury blow.
Woakes was ruled out yesterday as he battles a side strain.
It will almost certainly give Ali another chance after he’d been the popular pick to make way for rising legspinner Mason Crane.
England skipper Joe Root confirmed Crane will make his Test debut at the SCG and said he would not be overawed by the experience, taking confidence from how well the leggie conducted himself on international debut in a Twenty20 series in June.
“The way he went about those Twenty20s shows he is right up for international cricket and he’s not someone that is going to back down from any challenge,” Root said.
“Crane won’t back down from any challenge. He’s performed well whenever he’s been given an opportunity.”