Australia name three additions

The stop-start Test careers of Shaun Marsh and James Pattinson have been re-launched with the pair called up to cover two enforced vacancies for the historic day-night third Test match against New Zealand starting in Adelaide next week.

In addition to recalling Marsh for injured batsman Usman Khawaja and Pattinson as a replacement for retired fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, the national selection panel have added left-arm spinner Stephen O’Keefe to a 13-man squad in order to cover all contingencies.

Given the Test, which begins on November 27, will be played in the afternoon and evening using a pink ball, O’Keefe’s inclusion has indicated the selectors are unsure whether the Adelaide pitch will be hard and dry given heatwave conditions there this week or favour the seamers.

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If it's the latter, Pattinson is likely to spearhead a revamped attack alongside Mitchell Starc now that Johnson has called time on his international career with either Josh Hazlewood or Peter Siddle to provide the run-saving foil.

Hazlewood may be rested given skipper Steve Smith indicated prior to the Perth Test that finished yesterday, in which the young seamer sent down 38 overs, his workloads had been high over recent weeks, which is when fast bowlers become exposed to heightened injury risk.

Pattinson, who made his Test debut against New Zealand four years ago when he was named man of the match in Brisbane, has played just 13 Tests over that time due to a series of long-term injuries.

Watch: Pattinson tames Bulls in Matador Cup

The 25-year-old’s most recent Test was against South Africa in Cape Town 18 months ago when he suffered a back injury, and he has only recently returned to first-class cricket with Victoria.

"James has made a good return to Shield cricket following his injury and has earned this recall," selection chair Rod Marsh said today.

"He has worked incredibly hard and we are confident that he is ready to perform at Test level if selected."

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Likewise, the recall of batsman Shaun Marsh represents yet another chance for the undeniably talented left-hander whose 15-Test career spanning more than four years has featured some remarkable highs as well as a number of abject lows.

The most recent of the troughs came in England earlier this year when the 32-year-old was brought into the team for the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge in order to bolster a brittle top-order.

But he managed scores of 0 and 2 as Australia was bowled out for 60 in their first innings and humiliated by England’s bowlers, falling to defeat in just over two days.

He was subsequently dropped for the final Test at The Oval.

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Even though fellow Western Australia batsman Michael Klinger has made more runs in the current Shield season, over the past 12 months and in the previous two years and also boasts a higher first-class career average (39.71) than Marsh (38.50), the son of former Australia opener Geoff Marsh has received the selectors’ nod.

"Shaun was unlucky to miss out on the squad for the first two Tests (against NZ) and since then has scored consistently in Sheffield Shield, so we believe he deserves this opportunity," Rod Marsh said, with the left-hander having produced scores of 15, 1, 2, 92, 64 and 33 over his past six Shield innings.

Watch: Highlights of Marsh's 64 against Victoria

Klinger, 35, has posted scores of 202no, 50no, 4, 16, 70 and 23 over the same period.

The likelihood of O’Keefe winning a call-up seems to be reduced by claims from Adelaide Oval curator Damian Hough during the recent day-night Shield game at the venue that extra grass will be left on the Test pitch in order to help better preserve the pink ball.

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However, the forecast hot spell that has temperatures of around 38C forecast for Adelaide this week might affect the pitch preparation and the selectors have named an extended squad for the final match of the series that the home team leads 1-0 as a result.

Left-arm orthodox spinner O’Keefe has proved to be one of the most successful bowlers with the pink ball in recent day-night rounds of the Sheffield Shield competition.

"We have opted to include an extra spinner in the squad for Adelaide as we are unsure what conditions we will see there," Rod Marsh said.

"Stephen was included in our squad that was to go to Bangladesh (on the October tour that was postponed for security reasons) and if he should get an opportunity we think he will make the most of it."

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The Australian players who were involved in the Perth Test that finished yesterday will return home for a few days with their families before they gather in Adelaide on Sunday to prepare for the first ever day-night Test.

The New Zealand squad will remain in Perth where they will play a two-day day-night fixture against a Western Australia XI this weekend to further familiarise themselves with the pink ball.

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith, David Warner, Joe Burns, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges