Aussie bowling line-up far from certain for remaining Ashes Tests

THE one certainty of Australia's pace attack appears to be that it will not be the same in successive Tests on this Ashes tour.

Lyon

THE one certainty of Australia's pace attack appears to be that it will not be the same in successive Tests on this Ashes tour.

The bowl-off taking place in the three-day game against Sussex did not just involve fast bowlers Jackson Bird and Mitchell Starc, with Bird taking the early points.
 
It also involves the spinners - the unloved Nathan Lyon and talented Ashton Agar.
 
Despite being Australia's best spinner in the post-Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill era, Lyon has been treated with little respect, and it continued yesterday.
 
Local batsman Rory Hamilton-Brown slogged and swept Lyon for four boundaries in five deliveries during his third over, then lifted the first ball of his fourth over beyond the boundary for his second six from the spinner. 
 
Lyon had the uncomfortable figures of 0-38 from five overs at lunch.
 
Despite this, it would be a surprise if he did not play in the third Test at Old Trafford, a venue that has aided spinners in the past.
 
Agar created enormous excitement on debut at Old Trafford with a free-spirited 98 that saved Australia, but the left arm spinner is in the side for his bowling.
 
He did not take a wicket in 42 overs at Lord's when Graeme Swann claimed nine in the match for England and Joe Root took 2-7 from nine overs, bowling his occasional off-breaks in the second innings.
 
England has been deliberately preparing dry and dusty pitches to aid Swann and blunt Australia's pace attack, a ploy that is being explained away as a consequence of the unseasonally hot summer.
 
With James Pattinson ruled out for the remainder of the series because of stress fractures of the back, the obvious interest will be his replacement - one of Bird or Starc.
 
Both have strong claims. Starc is a genuine wicket-taker who snaffled five wickets in the first Test at Trent Bridge without bowling particularly well.
 
And England captain Alistair Cook has a poor record against left-arm seamers, although he managed to avoid falling to Starc in Nottingham.
 
Bird was man of the match in his last Test against Sri Lanka at the SCG, before suffering a back injury during Australia's disastrous tour of India.
 
He was the pick of the bowlers in his previous match, a tour game against Worcester, and out-bowled a wayward Starc with the new ball yesterday, claiming two of the first three wickets to fall.
 
Already 2-0 in the series, Australia must decide whether it will approach the third Test with all out attack, which means Starc should play, or take a more measured, pressure-building approach offered by Bird.
 
The greatest variable surrounding Australia's attack is Ryan Harris. He was outstanding after being called up to replace Starc in the second Test, claiming 5-72 and 2-31 from a total of 44.1 overs.
 
But how long will he last? Aged 33, Harris has played just 13 largely exceptional Tests, taking 54 wickets at 22.
 
A 10-day break between the second and third Tests is a godsend for him but Old Trafford and Durham are back to back.
 
In normal circumstances Australia would not play him in both but, needing to win all three Tests to regain the Ashes, they may simply have to take the punt.