Australia to play 2 spinners in last Test
O�Keefe replaces injured Siddle
AFP
AFP, SYDNEY: Stephen OKeefe was named Saturday in a two-prong spin attack in Australias side for the third Test against the West Indies in Sydney.
OKeefe replaces injured paceman Peter Siddle in the only change to the team that trounced the Windies by 177 runs in Melbourne to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy.
Siddle has not recovered from an ankle injury he sustained in the Melbourne Test and was not 100 percent fit for Sundays final Test, skipper Steve Smith said.
He (Siddle) felt it wasnt best for him to come into this Test match the way he is at the moment, Smith told reporters at the ground.
Hes a great team man and felt he would be letting the team down (if he played).
We were probably going to go the two spinners option anyway.
Smith said Australia had gone with the twin spin option as he expected the Sydney Cricket Ground pitch to turn.
The wicket looks dry so I think itll take some spin, he said.
Peter Siddle is still a little bit sore.
Hell have a rest for a couple of weeks and hopefully get himself right for (Februarys tour of) New Zealand.
It will be the first time in a decade that Australia will play two specialist spin bowlers at home, after leg-spinners Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill bowled together against South Africa in Sydney in 2006.
OKeefe will partner front-line spinner Nathan Lyon and the left-arm finger spinner said he was confident the pair could succeed bowling in tandem against the Caribbean tourists.
I enjoy playing with Nathan, he is a humble, lovely guy who I admire a lot and fingers crossed we can get that opportunity again, OKeefe said.
There are a couple of situations we have bowled the majority of the overs and enjoyed going each side of the bat.
OKeefe, 31, made one Test appearance against Pakistan in Dubai over a year ago, claiming four wickets in a 221-run loss.
He was named in Australias Test squad to travel to Bangladesh in October last year before the tour was cancelled amid safety concerns.
OKeefe has taken 17 wickets at an average of 25 in this seasons domestic Sheffield Shield, and was included in the Test squad for the first-ever Adelaide day-night Test last month before being released.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh will provide the third seamers spot behind opening bowlers Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson in the Australia pace attack.
Meanwhile, the West Indies captain Jason Holder said on Saturday they have gained some confidence out of their series loss to Australia and are looking to finish their underwhelming tour on a high in the final Sydney Test.
The eighth-ranked Windies were trounced in the first two Tests in Hobart and Melbourne with the Australians yet to be dismissed and conceding only 10 wickets in the thumpings.
The West Indies, who will be playing in their first Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 15 years, symbolising their declining reputation, will be trying to prevent the Australians from sweeping the series and possibly returning to the top of the Test rankings.
Sundays final Test will be the Windies chance to show they have been improving on tour, although they have a scant winning chance against Steve Smiths team.
In a sign of the vast gulf between the two sides in this series, Australia have scored 131.30 runs per wicket loss to the West Indies 24.31.
We fought really well in the last two days of the last Test match and it gives us some confidence going into this one, Holder told reporters.
