Cricket: Australians consider five bowlers for Boxing Day Test

The MCG pitch has the Australians considering the move for just the second time at home this century.

Australian captain Tim Paine checks out the MCG pitch with his son Charlie

It is the notoriously listless MCG pitch which has the Australians considering five bowlers in the side for Thursday’s MCG Test for just the second time at home this century.

It is the notoriously persistent New Zealand medium pacers who had Steve Smith practising against short balls in the nets this week, something he refused, defiantly, to consider when Jofra Archer aimed them at him during the Ashes.

It was batting coach Graeme Hick whose throwdown smashed into David Warner’s thumb three days before the Test and has left him in considerable pain on the dawn of it. The opener’s stubby digits have suffered much in his career and the thumb was broken by Steve Finn in 2015. He rarely plays pain free, but batting will be especially punishing for him this match and he has been in a lot of discomfort in the nets.

David Warner with his taped up thumb in the nets

It will be a hard call on Travis Head, who will make way if selectors do opt for five bowlers. His 56 in the first innings at Perth hinted form was approaching and a couple of innings on the most batsman-friendly wicket in the country would further advance that cause.

Australia last did this in the 2013 match against Sri Lanka when they named Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Jackson Bird

Head is the only member of the top six still in the squad from last year’s Boxing Day Test. Gone are Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and his brother Mitch. The absence of the last of these — the allrounder — is what has selectors testing various combinations.

The wicket, the absence of an allrounder and the immediacy of the New Year’s Test are the essential variables informing the decision.

Head, who averages above 40 from his 15 Tests, was appointed captain of South Australia at the age of 20 and is considered a potential future leader.

Should Australia play another seamer it will probably be Michael Neser as he was next in line but Peter Siddle, brought in when Josh Hazlewood broke down in Perth, could leapfrog him for what would almost certainly be his last Test at his home venue.

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Tim Paine admits the selectors are not sure which way they will go and a decision won’t be made until they see the wicket on Thursday.

“The wicket’s a little bit of an unknown, it’s obviously a little bit different to the last few Test matches but we have got a plan in place for both scenarios if we think there is going to be anything in the wicket and if we think it is going to be similar to the old MCG,” Paine said on Wednesday.

“We’ve probably got two different teams to be honest.”

Taking 20 wickets at the MCG has been one of the more difficult tasks in cricket in recent years and that is on the side’s mind.

“Our batting team has in the last few months been scoring a lot of runs so if we were to go with an extra bowler we would be comfortable they can do the job. The bowlers we will be bringing in can all bat so whilst we are taking a batter out we are probably lengthening our line-up a little bit. We will weigh it up and take it from there.”

Paine said they have been taking readings from Siddle, James Pattinson and assistant coach Andrew McDonald about how the wicket will play, but it looks different to other years.

David Warner, left, and Matthew Wade play in the nets with Warner’s daughter Ivy Mae

“It has some thick live grass on it which I haven’t seen here before,” he said. “But speaking to Sidds and Patto and Ronnie (McDonald) in the early Shield games it was nipping around day one and then it became a pretty good wicket again to bat on again for the majority of the game.

Pat Cummins and his partner Rebecca Boston at Australian cricket team’s Christmas Day party in Melbourne

“And there’s been a little bit of spin from Mitchell Swepson late in a Shield game against Victoria as well.

“Their feedback has been (that) barring the one game against Western Australia, the wicket has been much improved and been a very good cricket wicket.”

Injecting another bowler will move Paine up to No 6 in the order, but he says he doesn’t mind where he bats.

“We’re all here to do what we have to do for the team,” he said.

New Zealand confirmed two changes to their XI for the Test, with Trent Boult to return from injury while Tom Blundell will replace Jeet Raval at the top of the order.