Steve O'Keefe likely to join Aussie squad for Third Test as second spinner
Steve O'Keefe looks a certainty to play the third Test against West Indies though Sydney's uncertain weather forecast could ruin his bid to add to his lone Test cap, reports ESPNcricinfo.
Australian coaches and medical staff will supervise the fast bowlers over the next two days to come up with a decision. Peter Siddle who suffered an ankle problem will be the main concern for the Aussies after he bowled only nine overs during West Indies’ second innings in Melbourne.
Siddle will need to prove his fitness in the next few days or Victorian fast bowler Scott Boland could make his debut. But it is highly likely that O'Keefe would be used in a twin-spin attack with Nathan Lyon.
Darren Lehmann said that even if all the fast bowlers are fit there is a strong chance that O'Keefe will feature in the Third test, given the turn and spin the selectors have seen from the SCG this summer.
"In the games we've been watching it's been spinning, so I would say more than likely it'll be two spinners," said Lehmann on Wednesday. "But until we get there - and the weather, there's a bit of weather about - so we'll have to sum that up probably closer to day one I would think before we make a decision. Obviously, we've got to wait for all the fitness on the quicks as well.”
Australia played two spinners last in a Sydney Test during 2011 Ashes Test when Michael Beer debuted and Steven Smith was used as an all-rounder batting at No.7. Leaving aside Smith's leg spin, the last time Australia fielded two specialist spinners at the SCG was almost 10 years back in 2006 when Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill bowled together against South Africa.
The forecast of potential rain on the first three days might hamper O’Keefe’s chances of playing his second Test, after making his debut against Pakistan in Dubai last year.
Despite the weather forecast, O'Keefe's 17 Sheffield Shield wickets at an average of 24.64 which makes him an appealing prospect, and Mitchell Marsh's increased pace and wickets at the MCG during the second Test brings balance to the squad.
"That certainly helps the scenario, the way he bowled," Lehmann said of Marsh’s performance at the MCG. "I thought he was fantastic yesterday. It allows us to really still play three genuine quicks and allows us to play two spinners. That's a real option for us ... looking further ahead to subcontinent conditions we need to make sure we've got two spinners up and running.”
Playing XI to be decided on the day of the match
Australia will know their likely XI on the day before the Test, with the squad travelling on Thursday and optional training sessions on Friday and Saturday which means the fast bowlers may not work until the eve of the match.
"He's an important player for us, but we've got to make sure he's ready to go," Lehmann said. "As you could see he went off the ground a few times and saw the doctor, so very painful.
“But again we've just got to weigh that up and see how he pulls up over the next couple of days. He'd have to bowl for a start, to make sure he's all right. If he doesn't bowl then it's going to be a struggle for him.”
Australia's selectors have made it clear that they will not be experimenting for the sake of it, despite the fact that the Frank Worrell Trophy has already been retained. Lehmann insisted that no players would be rested, with Josh Hazlewood expected to play unless he is injured and won’t be able to get through the five days of the Test.
“I think we’ve done that ”n the past, we've tried a few things in the last Test and come unstuck," Lehmann said. "So with a young group you really want to keep playing the way you're playing and keep building on the confidence. As long as they're all fit and ready to go they'll play.”