Australia lock in all-pace attack for ‘quite green’ MCG pitch

Murphy omitted from the trimmed-down 12-man squad named by Smith, who returns from illness

Jhye Richardson could make his first Test appearance in four years with Australia locking in an all-pace attack for Boxing Day, on an MCG pitch described by Steven Smith as “quite furry, quite green”, while Usman Khawaja retained his spot after being a last-minute replacement in Adelaide.

Australia will wait until the morning of the game to make the final call on the composition of quicks. It will come down to two of Richardson, Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett, with offspinner Todd Murphy being omitted from the trimmed-down 12-man squad named by Smith, who also returns from illness, on Christmas Day. Josh Inglis has also been left out of the side that played in Adelaide.

It means for the second time in the series

and third time in their last five Tests – Australia will not have a specialist spinner on a surface that still had 10mm of grass the day before the game, with the match also set to start under cool, cloudy conditions.

“I dare say it’s going to offer quite a bit,” Smith, captaining again in place of Pat Cummins, said. “In particular, I think tomorrow’s similar conditions to today, quite cold and overcast. I dare say there’s going to be quite a bit of movement in that surface.”

Smith added that even if Nathan Lyon, who injured his hamstring in Adelaide, had been available, there would have still been a discussion about not playing a spinner.

“I think a lot of the wickets we’re playing on at present are definitely more seam-friendly than spin-friendly,” he said. “Last week [in Adelaide] was an anomaly. We saw some rough and we saw Nathan come in to play big-time last week. It’s a tricky one. You’ve just got to play whatever surface you’re presented with.

“This one out here looks like it’s going to offer a fair bit of assistance for the seam bowlers. The weather throughout the week looks conducive for that, too. I think if Nathan were here, we’d probably still be having the same conversation as well.

“It’s certainly nothing to do with Todd’s skill. We know he’s a quality bowler. He’s played some games for Australia and done really well. It’s great to see him here this week. I’m sure he’s going to have a pretty good chance to play next week in Sydney.”

If Richardson plays, it will be his first Test since the 2021-22 Ashes.

He was part of the squad a year ago for the corresponding match against India but shortly after that he opted for shoulder surgery to correct a long-standing problem. In recent weeks, he has increased his workload across Cricket Australia XI and Australia A fixtures against England Lions and it was confirmed he wouldn’t be under any workload restrictions if selected.

“He’s just got a great set of skills,” Smith said. “Swings the ball both ways, seams it, accurate. [He’s] a bit more skiddy than some of the others, he’s a little bit shorter, bowls decent pace. We’ve seen that when he’s got the opportunity at this level, he’s been outstanding. If he gets his opportunity tomorrow, I’m sure he’ll be extremely excited.

“It’s been a long lay-off for him and he’s done all the work to get back. He’s been around the group for a couple of weeks now getting his loads up and he’s in a good place.”

Meanwhile, Khawaja will bat at no. 5 as Australia continue with the Jake Weatherald-Travis Head opening combination, but Cameron Green has been demoted to No. 7 below is the in-form Alex Carey as he endures a difficult series with the bat and could be playing for his place. It means that Inglis loses his place after not being able to convert the starts he made in Brisbane and Adelaide.

Australia There was some thought Green could be squeezed out by Beau Webster but the selectors have shown faith in Green, who caused Smith a few problems in the nets.

He’s bowling nicely,” Smith said. “Obviously picked up a key wicket in the last game with Harry Brook with a nice ball. Gave me a couple of those yesterday, actually. They were quite similar.

“I think in terms of his batting, he probably hasn’t gotten the output that he’s wanted so far. He’s had a couple of really good starts where he’s looked nice and comfortable at the crease. It’s about just making those starts and turning them into bigger scores.

“We’ve seen how talented he is [and] seen what he can do in the game with the bat, the ball and in the field. He saves a truckload of runs at gully there with balls that no one else is going to stop. Hopefully he can make some runs this week.”

Australia have made frequent changes through the series – some forced by injury, others tactical such as playing all-pace attacks – and so far have made the right call at every turn

Australia

Australia “I think everyone who’s come in has done a great job,” Smith said. “And I think the beauty of this series so far, it has not been just one or two players, it’s been a whole group of players standing up at different times and taking on the responsibility.

“I think individuals, Starcy’s been magnificent leading the attack in all three games. Alex Carey behind the stumps and with the bat, outstanding. Travis Head, outstanding. It’s not about one or two individuals just standing up all the time, it’s everybody chipping in at stages. I think we’ve been able to do that in the big moments.

“Our fielding has been outstanding as well. Some of the catches we’ve taken have really been capable of turning the game and could have been the difference between the two sides of the stage.”

al wicket of Josh Tongue later to retain the Ashes in just 11 days, Lyon was on crutches.

Nathan Lyon knew immediately. Australia As soon as he dived at full stretch to his right at fine-leg to prevent Jamie Smith’s pull from reaching the boundary in the 77th over of England’s second innings at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, a slight grimace betrayed the sense that he wasn’t quite right. He threw the ball back to wicketkeeper Alex Carey whilst still on his knees and instantly clutched his right hamstring.

When he did get back up on his feet, he couldn’t do more than limp a couple of steps before signaling towards the dressing room for help and hobbling outside the field of play. As Marnus Labuschagne, who went up to the 38-year-old to check on him, revealed to the host broadcaster later, Lyon knew then and there that he would play no further part in the game. “I think I have done my hammy,” Lyon told Labuschagne grimly.

Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes. The 32-year-old missed the first two games but featured in the third one in Adelaide, after rehabilitating for a back stress injury. With the series pocketed 3-0, Cummins has been afforded rest for the last two fixtures – something he hinted at in the press conference after the Adelaide fixture. Fast bowler Jhye Richardson and off-spinner Todd Murphy have been added to the squad for the Boxing Day fixture.

“He won’t play any part in the rest of the series,” Australia head coach Andrew McDonald told reporters on Tuesday. “That was a discussion that we had a long time out around his return. Yeah, we were taking on some risk. We’ve now won the series, and that was the goal. To position him for further risk and jeopardize him in the long term is not something that we want to do.

“Pat’s really comfortable with that. If he had any setback in the build-in as well, we would have shut him down straight away,” added McDonald.

Steve Smith should return and lead the team in Cummins’s absence, pending his recovery from an inner ear issue that sidelined him in Adelaide.

Australia will also be without Nathan Lyon. Cricket Australia confirmed that Lyon needs surgery after tearing his right hamstring during the third Test in Adelaide. The injury happened when he dived to save a boundary on Day 5. Murphy is now in line to make his Test return at home after last playing the format in Sri Lanka in February this year.

If chosen to replace Cummins, Richardson could end a four-year wait to play a Test again, Australia having last played in the Ashes 2021. He underwent his third shoulder surgery earlier this year and has been training with the team through the first three Tests, gradually increasing his bowling loads. Earlier this month, Richardson showed his readiness by bowling 26 overs and picking a five-wicket haul against England Lions.

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