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Dale Steyn thinks Bhuvneshwar Kumar has found what was missing from his bowling a couple of months ago. According to Steyn, who worked with Bhuvneshwar as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling coach at IPL 2022, the seamer is determined to prove he is still a force to reckon with.Steyn’s comments came after the India seamer picked up 4 for 13 against South Africa in the second T20I in Cuttack. On a helpful pitch, he picked up three wickets inside the powerplay to dent South Africa’s chase of 149. Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen were bowled through the gate while Dwaine Pretorius was tricked by a knuckle ball. That gave India a shot at victory but Heinrich Klaasen’s 46-ball 81 denied them.”It’s not easy to run in and bowl those knuckle balls,” Steyn said on ESPNcricinfo’s analysis show T20 Time:Out. “It takes a lot of confidence and skill to bowl a knuckle ball. And Bhuvi has clearly got all of that. It’s no surprise that he has bowled as well as he has tonight. He is that good.”He was lacking something a couple of months ago and he seems to have found it now. He looks a lot more confident now. When I was with him at the IPL a couple of months back, it looked like he had lost a little bit of pace. He was operating between that 125 to 130kph, especially at the T20 World Cup in Dubai [the UAE]. When we got to the IPL, he seemed to have upped his pace a little bit. He was operating between 133 and 137, sometimes touching 140, you know the one odd ball.Related

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“He played every game at the IPL. He knew he was going to play and he was able to showcase his skills. He got some rhythm, he got some form, and bang.”Steyn also revealed that Bhuvneshwar told him his goal for IPL 2022 was to finish as the leading wicket-taker of the season. While Bhuvneshwar ended with just 12 wickets from 14 games, he had an excellent economy rate of 7.34.Bhuvneshwar’s determination, Steyn says, will also help him cement his place in India’s side for the T20 World Cup. At the moment, Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel are the only seamers who could be considered certainties in the first XI.Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up 12 wickets in 14 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022•BCCI

“I asked him [Bhuvneshwar] if he had got any goals for the IPL,” Steyn said, “and he secretly said to me, ‘I would like to win the purple cap again.’ And I was like this is fantastic. It just shows that this guy is determined and he wants to prove, not just to India but to the world, that he is still pretty much a force to reckon with.”I think that kind of extends to what could potentially happen for him later on this year. I mean he could really get a nod and go to the World Cup. He certainly understands his game, he knows when to train, he is confident in his skill and he has got these little goals that he didn’t really have to tell anybody but he would mention it every now and then that I could hear.”In the last few years, Bhuvneshwar has been troubled by a back injury, a hamstring injury and a thigh injury, but Steyn feels the seamer has been managing his body pretty well now.”He didn’t really come to any training sessions [at the IPL] because he was just managing his body, trusting himself,” Steyn said. “The day of the game he would walk to the middle and bowl probably three to four overs of warm-up before the game started, and just be a true professional.”He might have been coming back from an injury but he managed himself so well through the IPL – played all the games and bowled well in all of the games and now is able to just carry on that kind of momentum.”Wasim Jaffer, Steyn’s co-analyst at the show, agreed with Steyn’s overall assessment. “I think he [Bhuvneshwar] has been very impressive right from that West Indies series,” Jaffer said. “With that control, swing and the lengths he hit, we could see the old Bhuvneshwar Kumar in that series.”I think it’s the simplicity with which he goes about his business [that makes him special]. The control he has, the variations he has, and to execute those variations in high-pressure games, it just shows how confident he is.”

Jon Holland has bolted into contention for a shock Test recall if he can overcome a finger injury in time for Australia’s series opener against Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday.Australia received a major boost on Monday, with Mitchell Starc cleared to return from a cut finger after a lengthy centre-wicket training session.Bowling for the first time without tape on his finger since slicing it open almost three weeks ago, Starc ran in for around an hour and was able to grip the ball without the wound reopening.Travis Head is also pushing to play and completed fielding and batting tasks as officials wait to see how his hamstring pulls up on Tuesday before making a call on his availability.Related

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But it is the role of fourth bowler that shapes as the point of most contention, with left-arm orthodox Holland and incumbent legspinner Mitchell Swepson vying to play.Coach Andrew McDonald on Monday indicated Australia would go with two slow bowlers, on a ground where finger spin has traditionally had an advantage over wrist-spinners such as Swepson.”We haven’t made that decision, and Mitch Swepson is definitely in the selection frame,” McDonald said. “We’re talking about the direction the ball is spinning and the value of accuracy of finger spin against wrist spin, which at times can be less accurate.”Traditionally, finger spin has done well here, it would be going against the statistics to say it wasn’t. But there also hasn’t been a lot of wrist spin played here.”Holland, who has nine wickets from four Tests at 63.77 apiece, took 20 wickets at 32.10 in the Sheffield Shield last summer, after missing the start of the season with a finger injury. He has not played for Australia since the 2018 tour of the UAE, and has barely been part of a national squad since.If Holland does win out, it would mark an incredible bolt from the blue given he was not even part of the Australia A squad in Sri Lanka a fortnight ago.With selectors opting to give Matthew Kuhnemann experience in Asia, Holland was only called in when Ashton Agar was hurt early in the one-day series.He did not bowl at training on Monday as he rested his sore finger, but McDonald indicated he would play ahead of Kuhnemann if he recovered in time and a finger-spinner was preferred.Holland’s rise follows a remarkably similar path to his Test debut in Galle six years ago, when called in mid-series as injury cover during Australia’s 3-0 loss.He took five wickets in two Tests at 54.80 on that tour, after a preparation hampered by coming out of a Victorian winter with limited bowling behind him. McDonald is confident it would be different this time.”We know what Jon can do, hence why he has been called into the squad,” McDonald said. “He’s always been there or thereabouts with domestic performances. He was called in late, was he a little underdone when he got into the [Australia] A series? There’s no doubt about that. But we feel like he can bowl himself into the form we need him to.”

44.1 Cummins to Karunaratne
An appeal for a catch down leg side! Given not out and Australia review! From around the wicket, this was short into the ribs, Karunaratne fended awkwardly taking his hand off the bat but he missed it as it went through to Carey. Not out remains. Australia burn a review77.5 Lyon to Mathews
An lbw appeal given not out. Australia review. This looked outside the line live but it’s close. He tried to reverse sweep but missed it. No, there is a little spike on the RTS and the third umpire says it’s bat. So it’s given not out. Australia lose the review79.1 Lyon to Chandimal
An appeal for bat pad given not out. Head threw it up in the air thinking it was out and Chandimal runs for a single. Australia review. It’s their last one. He skipped down with bat behind pad and never hit it as it came off pad to Head at silly mid off. The ball hit him outside the line too. Australia lose all three reviews and give up a leg bye89.5 Lyon to Angelo Mathews
Another appeal for lbw. Again used his feet. Just hit pad first, was quite some way down the pitch. Replay shows it was three reds92.5 Starc to Chandimal
Massive appeal for caught behind! The Australians are pleading. Starc forgets there’s no reviews left. Was short outside off, Chandimal had a waft at it. Will need to see Ultra Edge. And there’s a spike

Matthew Mott, England’s limited-overs coach, has challenged fringe batters to score “a mountain of runs” in the Hundred to push for T20 World Cup selection and insisted that “no one has a mortgage on a spot”.England will have picked a preliminary World Cup squad by the time they play their next men’s T20I series, a seven-match marathon in Pakistan in late September, and after winning only two of their six fixtures against India and South Africa this summer, there are several positions up for grabs.Last year, Tymal Mills used the Hundred as a springboard into the World Cup squad after impressing for champions Southern Brave, while Liam Livingstone secured his starting berth thanks to a stunning run of form for Birmingham Phoenix. The Hundred’s second season starts on Wednesday, when Brave play Welsh Fire at the Ageas Bowl.Related

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“Can players come in? Absolutely they can. If they’re in form, coming off runs, and we go to Pakistan and they do well,” Mott said. “[We need to] use that Hundred as a real springboard to get that confidence back across the entire group.”Jos Buttler has struggled for runs in T20Is since becoming captain – he has managed only 87 across six innings, albeit at a strike rate of 189.13 – and will attempt to return to form while leading Manchester Originals. “I’m really excited for it,” he said.”My message to everyone in our dressing room would be that I want you to be the guy who is the best player in your team and showcase your talent. Last year Liam Livingstone was the MVP [Most Valuable Player] and has ridden that wave ever since. The guys in our dressing room have the opportunity to go on that kind of journey.”Every game is on TV, every game will have a big crowd and that should be exciting. If you can perform to a high-level in those situations, that replicates international cricket and replicates World Cups. It’s probably the best thing for everyone in the group.”The top item on England’s wish-list for the Hundred would be Jason Roy returning to form for Oval Invincibles after a lean run this summer which saw him eke out 76 runs off 98 balls across six T20I innings. Mott challenged Phil Salt – Buttler’s Originals opening partner – and Harry Brook to mount strong cases for selection after running the drinks in the South Africa series, and admitted there could be “hard decisions” to make.”That’s the one that we, as a selection group, really need to thrash out,” Mott said. “When you’ve been a great player and you’ve delivered great things on a big stage, I think you deserve a bit of loyalty. You get some currency from having delivered on the big stage.”But at certain times, hard decisions need to be made, and young players come in and add energy. Those two players are on the sidelines and they’re chomping at the bit for a game. I think that’s really healthy. They’ve now got an opportunity to go back to the Hundred, get a mountain of runs, keep putting pressure on.”No one in the team has mortgage on a spot. I think the nature of cricket suggests that at different times, players come in and out of form. There’s a bit of science behind it, but there’s also a bit of gut feeling. You try and breed confidence in a playing group: if you stick more than you flick, then you’re a better chance of breeding that confidence.”Mott confirmed that it would be “a stretch” for Jofra Archer to return from injury in time for the World Cup and while Chris Woakes and Mark Wood are more likely to be available, neither is expected to play any part in the Hundred. England conceded 190 or more in five of their six T20Is this summer and there are spots available in their bowling attack.As a result, they will be watching several bowlers closely, not least Luke Wood, David Payne, Mills (left out of the South Africa series due to a toe injury) and Tom Curran, who will make his return from injury at Oval Invincibles. They will also hope that a back-up spin option emerges after Matt Parkinson struggled against India, with Jake Lintott and Benny Howell – a self-described “fast-spinner” – among the candidates who could emerge from left field.Will Jacks, James Vince and countless other batters could push for selection with a strong Hundred, but the one player guaranteed to return to the side if fit is Ben Stokes, who Mott suggested was an option to bat in the top four. Stokes has mainly been used as a finisher in T20Is by England but is increasingly seen as a top-order option, and his return could squeeze Roy out of the side.”Obviously Stokesy comes back in to that team,” Mott said. “When you add players like Stokes into any team, it makes selection a hell of a lot easier. You’ve basically got a free hit with the balance of your team – and that’s clearly something that has probably been missed by a few people. Having a world-class bowler that bats in the top four is a huge asset to any team.”There’s the seven games [in Pakistan] and I’m sure we’ll be changing our team around a little bit there, and then we’ll get that chemistry right when we take on Australia and then play three T20s. They’ll be the big games leading into that World Cup for us and we’ll have a bit more of an idea of where we’re at as a team at that stage.”I think a lot of people reflect back on the past about how great a team this is. This is a very different unit at the moment. We need to acknowledge that and make sure we live in the present and work on what we can get better at. I think Jos is really honest about where we need to go.”

Gloucestershire 257 for 5 (Charlesworth 97, Harris 57) beat Middlesex 256 for 9 (Malan 81, Robson 59, Gohar 4-38) by five wicketsZafar Gohar and Ben Charlesworth were the star turns as Gloucestershire beat high-flying Middlesex by five wickets in the Royal London Cup at Radlett to keep their faint hopes of a play-off place alive.Gohar produced a spinning masterclass with four for 38, supported by two for 42 from Ajeet Singh-Dale as Middlesex were restricted to 256 for 9 despite 81 for Pieter Malan and another half century for Sam Robson.Charlesworth ensured the chase was never overly taxing with a finely constructed 97, sharing a second-wicket stand of 141 with Marcus Harris (57) as the visitors eased home with 17 balls to spare.Gloucestershire skipper Jack Taylor said: “Zafar is a gun bowler. I see him as one of the best spinners in the country. The amount of drop he gets on the ball and the control he’s got. He has a mindset like a fast bowler too so wants to take wickets. He takes it on and does a good job for us.”The pitch was the same one Middlesex had scored 374 on in beating Warwickshire, but the used surface under cloudy skies proved a very different beast from 48 hours earlier.Related

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Gloucestershire dropped an early clanger when Tom Price reprieved Stephen Eskinazi, spilling a sharp chance from the second ball of the match.His head in hands gesture suggested he feared the worst having given the highest scorer in the competition a life, but Gohar, given the new ball, induced the opener to mishit to cover in the following over. The Pakistani international soon snared another with a peach which took Mark Stoneman’s inside edge to give James Bracey a simple catch.At 19 for 2 the hosts were up against it and there were fears for Pieter Malan when he was struck on the hand by Paul Van Meekeran, but the South African carried on after treatment.The recovery was a slow process, 12 overs passing without a boundary and Sam Robson going more than 40 balls before finding the fence.Malan reached 50 from 71 balls with his sixth four, finding the boundary again with the next ball to raise the hundred partnership.The stand reached 125, but just as the Middlesex pair pressed the go button, Gohar removed them both, pinning Robson lbw for a stoic 59 before having Malan caught at mid-wicket from the worst ball he bowled. Thereafter it was story of cameos, most notably from Martin Andersson whose unbeaten 31 took them just beyond 250.Chasing a below par target, Gloucestershire were dealt an early blow when Toby Greatwood bowled Ben Wells with a beauty which hit the top of off-stump.Charlesworth made up for dropping a howler in the field with two towering sixes as he raced to a run-a-ball 50. Marcus Harris proved a good foil as the stand past 100 and the Australian reached his own 50 with his first maximum as the chase gathered pace. By the time Luke Hollman broke the stand when Harris skied one to Eskinazi the visitors needed just over 100 to win.Hollman was in the action again with a blinding catch to remove the dangerous Bracey cheaply from a Robson full toss. Ollie Price too came and went caught behind off Max Harris, and when Charlesworth fell three short of a century there was just the hint of a wobble.But Taylor quelled nerves, lofting Robson for a huge six in making an unbeaten 48 as the visitors eased home.

Western Australia’s new ball bowlers Jhye Richardson and Jason  Behrendorff excelled as their side strolled to a nine-wicket win after dismissing NSW for 76, their lowest-ever one-day score.WA cruised to a bonus point victory at the WACA on Saturday, reaching their modest target with a whopping 33 overs remaining in a rematch of last year’s final.They moved to within a point of early pacesetters Tasmania, who secured a bonus point in each of their victories so far. NSW, who were dismissed in 21.4 overs, have lost both of their games and along with Queensland have yet to register a point.Richardson returned personal career-best one-day figures of 4 for 24 off eight overs, while Behrendorff took 3 for 17 off seven.Blues captain Kurtis Patterson opted to bat first in Perth but must have been ruing his decision after NSW slumped to 6 for 20 in the ninth over.A promising seventh-wicket stand of 38 between Australian short-form representatives Daniel Sams (26 off 31 balls) and Sean Abbott (12 off 20) spared NSW from total embarrassment and added a little flesh to their skinny score.However, the last four wickets added just 18, leaving NSW 16 runs shy of their previous lowest one-day score of 92 back in 1972-73. It was the equal seventh lowest total in Australian one-day domestic history.WA openers Josh Philippe (37 not out off 46) and D’Arcy Short (18 off 38) had few problems, adding 44 off 12.1 overs as the NSW attack struggled for line and length.Liam Hatcher, the least experienced of the Blues pace quartet, was rewarded with a wicket with his first delivery, as he pitched the ball up and bowled Short.Philippe, who scored a century in the win over Victoria, and Sam Whiteman (14 not out off 18), eased WA to victory after just 17 overs.Earlier, Australian representatives Richardson and Behrendorff troubled all the batters with swing on a spicy wicket. The innings hit the skids when NSW lost 3 for 0 in 10 balls. The carnage started in the third over with Patterson (4) and Matthew Gilkes  (0) bowled by Richardson in a double-wicket maiden.Behrendorff chimed in, claiming a wicket in three successive overs. He had Daniel Hughes (0) caught in the covers and bowled Moises Henriques (1) and Jack Edwards (3), while Richardson had Jason Sangha (0) caught off a pull shot.Twelve of the Blues first 20 runs came from extras. Sams struck four boundaries and looked good until flashing at a Matthew Kelly delivery and being caught behind.The two teams square off again in a Sheffield Shield match starting at the WACA on Monday.

Stumps West Indies finally have some hope ahead of their Frank Worrell Trophy series against Australia, fighting back from an early hole to take the challenge up to the Prime Minister’s XI.They were staring down the barrel of another disastrous day with the ball when PM’s XI were 134 for 0, but showed spirit to take six wickets in the evening session and finish the day at 297 for 9 at the Manuka Oval.The PM’s side resumed after the dinner break at 198 for 3, but the visitors found a spark through spinner Roston Chase, his two wickets swinging the game slightly in their favour at stumps. Chase first produced a gem that turned plenty and clean bowled Aaron Hardie, while another great delivery spun past Peter Handscomb and had him stumped for 55.Related

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The visitors took the new pink ball late in the evening session of the four-day, day-night clash, and immediately found some reward, with Alzarri Joseph knocking over Michael Neser and Joel Paris. And he found a third with the last ball of the night, with Ashton Agar chopping on to his stumps after a quickfire 33.”This is a game of patience,” he told reporters. “You could bowl well in this session but you have to stay patient and your reward might come at the end the game. You get your opportunity with a new ball, with the lights on it takes a bit more effect and does a bit more.”The pink ball is pretty easy to bat [against] during the day, but when it gets down to maybe 7pm or 8pm, twilight starts to come in and the light starts taking effect, that’s when you know the bowlers have a better chance.”It was the lifeline they needed after a dismal afternoon that saw PM’s XI openers Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw cruise through their triple-figure partnership. Harris, the only PM’s XI player in Australia’s squad for the first Test in Perth next Wednesday, continued his strong form and made 73 before a loose slash saw him caught at second slip.Renshaw took over and thumped ten boundaries in his 81, but also fell short of a century when he edged Raymon Reifer to the slips.”It was an enjoyable day, challenging yourself against a pretty good bowling attack…they kept coming and kept coming,” Renshaw said. “They bowled really well, obviously they’ve got a couple guys on the sidelines as well who could come in.”We always know the night sessions where you can come out and something can start happening. They’re an exciting young group and they’ve got some pace and they’ve got some skills. It will be an interesting watch for the Test matches over the summer.”Future Test hopeful Henry Hunt couldn’t show the form that made him last season’s Sheffield Shield player of the year, falling for 13.Joseph (3 for 52) led the way, and Chase (2 for 72) was important, while frontline quick Kemar Roach took 1 for 40. It was an important fightback from West Indies, playing just days after conceding 426 for 4 against a combined ACT/NSW XI.

Marnus Labuschagne weathered an early assault on a green-tinged Optus Stadium pitch to compile a brilliant unbeaten century, as Australia dominated an increasingly ragged West Indies on the opening day of the first Test.Coming to the crease in the fourth over after the wicket of opener David Warner, Labuschagne was confronted by a pumped-up attack on a surface with 10mm of grass left on it .But through century partnerships with Usman Khawaja and an irresistible Steve Smith, he gained a stranglehold of the contest and crushed the hopes of West Indies, whose chances of ending a 25-year Test drought in Australia look already forlorn after the opening day of the two-match series.While most of their team-mates have lacked playing red ball cricket, amid a slew of limited-overs internationals, Labuschagne and Khawaja showed the benefit of a lengthy preparation through four Sheffield Shield matches with Queensland this season.Related

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Labuschagne has clearly enjoyed returning to Optus Stadium, where he scored 143 and 50 against New Zealand three years ago in the last Test match played at the 60,000-seat ground.While Khawaja looked in sparkling touch from the get go to continue his Test resurgence as an opener with an average of 95 for the calendar year. It was almost a shock when he fell before tea to a cracker of a delivery from seamer Kyle Mayers, but Australia soon regained control in a one-sided final session.Perhaps sensing their opposition wilting, Labuschagne and Smith put the foot down after tea to score freely as West Indies went through the motions and their quicks were unconvincing with the second new ball.Labuschagne celebrated reaching his century with gusto, taking his helmet off and raising his bat aloft after receiving a firm hug from Smith. He was in strong form throughout his innings although received some luck before tea when he edged through the slips during a menacing burst from quick Kemar Roach and had two moments of fortune during a lively over from Jayden Seales where he top edged a short ball and then nicked through the cordon.He capitalised on an increasingly weary West Indies effort, hooking a six off Alzarri Joseph into the sparse grandstands late in the day.Smith’s strong form from the ODI series against England continued, underlining his increasing confidence with his new technique, which he recently refined by abandoning shuffling across the crease.Kyle Mayers found Usman Khawaja’s outside edge•Getty Images

Even though his trademark exaggeration after leaving deliveries was still eye-catching, Smith was well balanced at the crease as he continually drove sweetly through the covers.West Indies had few answers as they slumped during a subpar final session marred by wayward bowling and sloppy fielding. When Labuschagne was 136 he almost found deep point with an upper cut against Seales but debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul couldn’t quite get there.It was a disappointing back end of the day for West Indies, whose hopes of an upset were seemingly raised when Australia captain Pat Cummins gambled and batted first. They bowled a good line and length backed up by aggressive captaincy from skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, who implemented attacking fields complete with five slips reminiscent of the nearby WACA’s heyday.West Indies were rewarded with the early wicket of Warner, whose lean run in Test cricket continued when he chopped a full and wide delivery from Seales onto the stumps.But inroads failed to materalise as Labuschagne and Khawaja dug in before gaining control in the afternoon amid cooler weather and a flagging attack on a surface playing fewer tricks than expected.There were fears of a frosty reception from fans after the fallout over ex-coach Justin Langer’s recent inflammatory interview, which overshadowed the opening Test of the Australian summer.But Langer, a favourite son in his hometown of Perth, was on the ground before play chatting to several Australia players in perhaps a sign of a truce. There was no apparent ill feeling throughout the day from fans, who also applauded both teams for taking the knee before play in a stand against racism.But a crowd of just 10,929 underlined the general apathy in Perth for the match, which received little fanfare in the lead up.A full-strength Australia went in as expected, while West Indies named Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of legendary batter Shivnarine, for his Test debut and he received his marooned cap from Brian Lara before play.

Big Picture

Another Sydney Test where the series is decided, but the advantage of the World Test Championship is that plenty remains at stake. For Australia they can, barring points deductions, secure a place in June’s final with victory at the SCG while South Africa need to win to keep their now slim hopes alive.The last time South Africa played here, back in 2008-09, they were the side that arrived 2-0 up and Australia secured a consolation victory. It came in dramatic circumstances when Graeme Smith walked out with a broken hand to try and save the match and only narrowly failed when Mitchell Johnson got one through him with 10 balls remaining.Can the result be reversed this time? It’s hard to believe it will be, given the gulf between the batting in the two sides. South Africa scrapped past 200 for the first time in eight innings in the final throes of the MCG Test. Their pace attack kept them in the World Test Championship, but their batting ultimately looks like costing them.Related

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However, Australia will have to make changes. Mitchell Starc is out with a broken middle finger – his second-innings bowling in Melbourne was herculean – but in many ways, the bigger loss is Cameron Green because of the balance he provides (his fifty, with a broken finger, was another huge effort). The fact there have been many questions over the balance of Australia’s side weeks shows the impact of Green’s absence.There has been talk of having an eye on India and the SCG surface may naturally allow Australia to go that way, but they do not want to take their eye off the ball with the final so close. Little moments, not just their over-rate, cost them in the last cycle and they’ve also had problems taking 20 wickets on this ground in the last few years.As has become tradition, this is also the Pink Test – the 15th, with South Africa having played in the first – where money is raised for the McGrath foundation and the third day is dedicated to Glenn’s late wife, Jane, who died of breast cancer in 2008. The Pink Test has raised more than AU$17 million and the foundation now employs 193 breast care nurses with the aim of having 250 by 2025.

Recent form

Australia WWWWL
(last five matches, most recent first)South Africa LLLLW

In the spotlight

Josh Hazlewood is confident the pecking order of Australia’s pace bowlers remains intact, but it’s been a bad time for him to miss the best part of two home summers. Scott Boland’s barnstorming start to his Test career has left the selectors with some tough decisions to make when everyone is available. Hazlewood’s record of 217 wickets at 26.16 is outstanding, but with another subcontinent tour on the horizon, where only two frontline quicks are a possibility, plus an Ashes tour that appears tailor-made for Boland it would be an opportune time for a big Test.It’s been a tough few weeks for Dean Elgar. His team needed big runs from him but they haven’t materialised. Twice he has been caught down the leg side, but that isn’t all bad luck – it is clearly an area opposition bowlers feel they can dismiss him – and the first-innings run out at the MCG was self-inflicted at a vital moment. Some of his captaincy has also come under the spotlight although he did not have much to work with in Melbourne.Lance Morris may have to wait for his Test debut•Getty Images

Team news

Pat Cummins will often confirm an XI the day out from a game but was keeping his cards close to his chest this time. Ashton Agar would appear a strong chance of a first Test since 2017 but Lance Morris may have to wait for his debut. There is also a debate around four bowlers or five, but just two frontline quicks would appear a risk.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Nathan Lyon, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Josh Hazlewood.South Africa will have to make at least one change with Theunis de Bruyn having returned home. Rassie van der Dussen, who was dropped after the first Test, and Heinrich Klassen are the only batting options remaining. Elgar said he remained in favour of a five-bowler attack. Offspinner Simon Harmer will come into consideration.South Africa (possible) 1 Dean Elgar (capt) 2 Sarel Erwee, 3 Rassie van der Dussen/Heinrich Klaasen, 4 Temba Bavuma, 5 Khaya Zondo, 6 Kyle Verreynne, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Lungi Ngidi/Simon Harmer

Pitch and conditions

SCG curator Adam Lewis compared the pitch to an SCG surface of 10 years ago and was excited about the potential return to the old characteristics. The Sheffield Shield surface when New South Wales played Western Australia in November turned. There are significant showers and thunderstorms forecast for the opening, but there is hope they will largely come in the evening. Further showers are possible during the match.

Stats and trivia

• This will be the first Test since The Oval in 2019 where Australia have not had Mitchell Starc
• Australia head coach Andrew McDonald made his Test debut in the 2008-09 Test between the teams in Sydney
• The last time Australia fielded two spinners at home was against Pakistan at the SCG in 2016-17
• Usman Khawaja needs 33 runs for 4000 in Tests

Quotes

“I think it’s a bit different to most Aussie wickets, especially with a couple of injuries. With Green in particular we have to dice it up a bit differently. But we’re pretty confident in our XI.”
“We’ve also got a lot to play for with regards that final in June. That’s a massive incentive for us. We always want to play tough Test cricket and be a thorn in the side of the opposition and if we can disrupt Australia’s potential plans for that final, then it’s definitely part of the work in progress for this game.”
Dean Elgar on his New Year ambitions