Ashton Agar, Steve O’Keefe named in Australian squad for SCG Test

ASHTON Agar’s Big bash heroics, and the fact he’s a left-arm spinner, have elevated him back in to Test contention.

ASHTON Agar’s Big bash heroics, and the fact he’s a left-arm spinner, have elevated him back in to Test contention after he was added to the squad for the final match in Sydney.

The West Australian and fellow left-arm tweaker Steven O’Keefe were added to a 13-man group with batsman Nic Maddinson and unused seamer Chadd Sayers left out.

Maddinson was dropped after three underwhelming Tests which netted just 27 runs, told to go back and score heavily at domestic cricket level.

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Ashton Agar is back in Test contention for Australia.

All-rounder Hilton Cartwright remains in the squad that will head to Sydney with his inclusion, as a batting replacement for Maddinson, hinging on the state of the SCG wicket.

Agar, who burst on to the Test scene with a 98 on debut, batting at number 11 in England in 2013, could also emerge as a number six option as Australia looks for a spinning all-rounder to take to India in February.

Immediately however Aussie coach Darren Lehmann suggested the home team would likely take two spinners in to the final Test with the battle to be between Agar and O’Keefe after incumbent offie Nathan Lyon’s three-wicket haul on Friday ensured he’d keep his place

“(Lyon) bowled beautifully today and there’s no reason why he wouldn’t (play in Sydney),” Lehmann said.

Nathan Lyon’s three-wicket haul for Australia was timely.

“We wanted a left-armer to go away from all of their right-handers. (Agar has) made Shield hundreds and obviously batted really well on his Test debut.

“He’s certainly got the talent to be a batting all-rounder or a spinning all-rounder.”

Both Agar and O’Keefe were kept off flying with their Big Bash teams on Friday, Agar after slamming a last0ball six at Etihad Stadium on Thursday night to record a stunning victory for his Perth Scorchers.

Agar, 23, played both of his two Tests in England in 2013, and took 10 wickets in a Sheffield Shield game at the SCG this year.

“After hitting the winning runs for the (Perth) Scorchers on Thursday night and then getting the call from Trevor Hohns on Friday morning, it hasn’t been a bad 24 hours,” Agar said.

Ashton Agar celebrates hitting the winning runs for Perth Scorchers.

New South Welshman O’Keefe, 32, has three Test caps and last played in the ill-fated tour or Sri Lanka in August before injuring himself, and also was fined by Cricket Australia after a drunken night out in Sydney.

“It’s great to be in the squad again, especially after the frustration of the tour to Sri Lanka earlier in the year, but I’m not getting ahead of myself,” he said.

“It’s up to me to impress at practice over the next few days, hopefully earn a spot in the final eleven and then bowl well if given the opportunity.”

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said they now had “ maximum options” with three spinners in the squad to pick the best team to seal a series clean-sweep.

(L-R) Steve O’Keefe and Steve Smith at the SCG for last year’s rain-affected Test against the West Indies. Picture Gregg Porteous

“Both Ashton Agar and Stephen O’Keefe have performed well in first-class cricket this summer and both have bowled well at the SCG this season too, so they deserve their selections here,” he said.

“And having them in Sydney along with Nathan Lyon means that we can have the three spinners working together in the lead-up to the Test.”

Victorian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was overlooked, but Lehmann said the SCG selections would not necessarily have a bearing on who goes to India.

Australia’s 13-man squad: Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (capt), Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Ashton Agar, Steve O’Keefe.