Bird is the word for new-look Australia in Adelaide

Australia's Jackson Bird celebrates taking the wicket of England's Alastair Cook during their fourth Ashes test cricket match at the Riverside cricket ground, Chester-Le-Street, northern England August 9, 2013. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis/File Photo

ADELAIDE (Reuters) - Jackson Bird has edged out uncapped fast bowler Chadd Sayers for a place in Australia's pace attack for the third and final test against South Africa in Adelaide, captain Steve Smith confirmed on Wednesday.

Bird, capped five times but overlooked in favour of debutant Joe Mennie for the second test defeat in Hobart, joins fellow seamers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in a raw team featuring three new batsmen for the day-night match.

Opener Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson will all play their first tests at Adelaide Oval after selectors wielded the axe following the Hobart humiliation, which gave South Africa an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

"We've obviously made a lot of changes," Smith told a media conference in Adelaide. "I'm happy with the team that I've got.

"This series has been disappointing the way it has gone for us but I'm actually really excited about the young guys coming into the group.

"I've almost felt a little shift over the last few days in attitude and energy from what the new guys have brought in."

Australia team:

David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (captain), Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by John O'Brien)