Chadd Sayers form at Adelaide Oval make him tough to overlook for day-night Test

CHADD Sayers’ prolific wicket-taking feats at Adelaide Oval could see him edge out Pat Cummins as Australia’s third paceman in the second Ashes Test against England.

Chadd Sayers in action for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.

SOUTH Australian Chadd Sayers looms as the only change to Australia’s first Test-winning line-up.

Mitchell Starc had implored Australia’s selectors not to break up a winning combination but Sayers ability to swing the pink ball in the day-night Test could be too hard to ignore.

With the second Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval starting just five days after the first in Brisbane, Starc doesn’t believe he nor Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins need a rest.

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However, with Cummins’ injury history, Sayers might be handed his debut in his home Test.

Sayers claimed the most wickets in the Sheffield Shield last year - 62 at an average of 19 - claimed Player of the Year honours and was included in the squad for the first two Tests.

In five Shield matches at Adelaide Oval last season, he snared 40 wickets, including eight in a day-night clash against NSW.

Chadd Sayers in action for South Australia.

Pat Cummins celebrates the wicket of Johnny Bairstow.

Sayers backed it up with six wickets in the day-night Shield clash against NSW at the Adelaide Oval last month, including the scalp of skipper Steve Smith.

In all but one of the past five season, Sayers has claimed more than 30 wickets.

As Australia’s strike bowler, Starc’s position is safe. He claimed 10/119 in the Blues’ Shield clash against the Redbacks in October.

Chadd Sayers at Adelaide Oval

Match	Wickets
Shield (D/N) v NSW	4/82 & 2/22
Shield v Queensland	1/27 & 3/36
Shield v Victoria	4/40 & 4/59
Shield v WA	5/68 & 4/64
Shield (D/N) v NSW	3/66 & 5/27
Shield v Tasmania	6/32 & 5/44

In Brisbane he hoped selectors stuck with the same line-up in Adelaide.

“We bowled about 50 overs every Test match last summer and that was a six-Test match summer,” he said on Sunday.

“I don’t see why it’s any different this summer and as far as I know we’re all going pretty well.

Chadd Sayers and Mitchell Starc warm up at the Gabba.

“I expect it to be the same squad and hopefully the same line-up going into Adelaide as well.”

Hazlewood’s place is also assured as the attack’s McGrath-like metronome.

It is Cummins who is most likely to earn the rest before returning for the third Test in Perth, starting December 14.

Cummins did play in Adelaide last month but could only muster figures of 2/22 and 0/71 with the pink ball.

While he was arguably Australia’s best paceman at the Gabba, the selectors will not want to risk the injury-prone young gun who had not played a Test since 2011 before his return in India.

In between Brisbane and Perth, NSW has a Shield game in Tasmania or while there’s a two-day Cricket Australia XI clash against England in Perth.

Originally published as Chadd Sayers form at Adelaide Oval make him tough to overlook for day-night Test