Australia’s middle order is the least experienced part of the test team, with Sean Marsh, Adam Voges, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and wicketkeeper Peter Nevill all still trying to establish themselves in the side.
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Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile has been included in a 12-man squad for the West Indies series. Boland is on standby and will travel to Tasmania this weekend if any of the four pacemen in the squad are not going to be fit enough for the game. “It was an exciting game, played in exemplary spirit, and in front of record crowds – a great advert for Test cricket”, Richardson said in an ICC release. Coulter-Nile, who has played 13 one-day internationals and 11 Twenty20s for Australia, is short on match practice after being suspended from his most recent Sheffield Shield outing for showing dissent to an umpire.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland says he’ll be pushing for more day-night tests on the schedule after a fan survey showed strong support for the new format. “Scott presents as a good option if the situation with any of our fast-bowlers change”.
A 200th wicket and the winning runs were of some comfort for paceman Peter Siddle who was grief-stricken after the death of his grandmother during Australia’s victory in the third test against New Zealand. He’s bowling very well at the moment and is not far off selection.
The Victorian was overlooked but his chance to play Test cricket for the first time since March 2014 will come in Hobart next week.
The Windies claimed the 1995 series against New Zealand by thrashing the hosts by an innings and 322 runs in the second Test in Wellington.
Network Nine’s head of sport Steve Crawley was thrilled at the ratings and said that the concept of day-night Test cricket is here to stay.
It is a headache for Marsh, made all the more bothersome by Pat Cummins’ back stress fractures and this year’s retirements of Johnson and Ryan Harris.
The rest of the squad is unchanged from the day-night Test victory over the Kiwis and National Selector Rod Marsh has backed Coulter-Nile to do the business if required.
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Llong’s contentious reprieve of Nathan Lyon from a caught behind appeal took the wind out of New Zealand’s sails on day two and Australia grabbed another 108 runs from their last two wickets to take a slender lead that had earlier seemed improbable.
