Australia is set to make at least three changes for Boxing Day, including the prospect of blooding a new chief spinner for the first time at home since 2011.
Nathan Lyon has been Australia’s sole tweaker in home Tests for the vast majority of his career, barring a handful of games when he was snubbed or joined in the attack by a fellow spinner.
Lyon is expected to be ruled out of Friday’s fourth Test at the MCG at the very least, after injuring his hamstring fielding a ball during Australia’s 82-run win on Sunday.
The 38-year-old ended the day on crutches, using them to hobble across Adelaide Oval as Australia celebrated and left the venue with the Ashes urn wrapped up.
Pat Cummins is also set to miss the Melbourne Test as medical staff manage his return from a back injury, with the captain also a chance to sit out Sydney with the Ashes secure.
“We had a pretty aggressive build-up knowing there’s an Ashes there to be won and we thought it was worth it,” he said after securing the urn.
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“Now that the series has been won, there might be a sense of ‘job’s done and let’s kind of reassess the risk’. We’ll work it out in the next couple of days.
“I doubt I’ll be playing Melbourne, and then we’ll have a chat about Sydney. Before the series, it was while the series was alive, let’s take on the risk and have a crack at it.”
Steve Smith will almost certainly return to Australia’s batting line-up and captain the team after overcoming vertigo and returning to the nets in Adelaide.
But it is the absence of Lyon that will cause the most significant change to Australia’s side.
Nathan Lyon hobbled off the field with a hamstring injury on day five in Adelaide. (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)
“Gaz [Lyon] is pretty close to irreplaceable. The ability to take breakthroughs but also control innings is really important,” Cummins said.
“So, it’s going to be hard to replace, but we’ve got some guys who have already had a taste of international cricket around the traps.
“Other guys have done really well in domestic cricket. It’s been one of the benefits of the Sri Lankan tours, even West Indies, where we take a couple of spinners.
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“There’s guys that can step in, and you feel like it’s not going to be too overwhelming for them.”
Lyon was left out at both the WACA in 2012 against India and earlier this month at the Gabba, but on both occasions, that was for Australia to go with four quicks.
Otherwise, Australia has not entered a home Test without him since the final Test of the losing 2010/11 Ashes, when Michael Beer was the last player other than Lyon to be picked as a frontline spinner.
West Australian Corey Rocchiccioli is every chance of debuting after being the form spinner of the Sheffield Shield this season.
Corey Rocchiccioli is the only serious contender without Test experience. (AAP Image: Richard Wainwright)
Matt Kuhnemann has impressed in five Tests, but part of the left-armer’s value in selectors’ eyes is his ability to bowl in tandem with Lyon and turn the ball the other way.
Todd Murphy is another option, having taken 22 wickets in his seven Tests, including replacing Lyon when he tore his calf in the 2023 away Ashes and bowling alongside Lyon and Kuhnemann in Sri Lanka in February.
Cooper Connolly also played on that tour as an all-rounder, while leg spinner Mitchell Swepson has not played a Test since the 2022 Sri Lanka tour.
Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland have both bowled close to 70 overs across the past two Tests, but would both likely be keen to play in Melbourne.
Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, and fit-again Jhye Richardson wait in the wings as bowlers, while selectors will likely decide whether Usman Khawaja or Josh Inglis makes way for Steve Smith.
AAP
