Unchanged Aussie XI targets whitewash in Warner's farewell

Australia have backed in the same XI for a third consecutive NRMA Insurance Test with Pat Cummins confirming no changes have been made for the New Year's Test against Pakistan.

Cummins confirmed Australia's fast-bowling trio have all pulled up well after clinching the series in Melbourne. Having also won in Perth, the Aussies have no need to tinker with the balance of their side for David Warner's Test farewell.

Pakistan meanwhile revealed on Tuesday afternoon they have dropped Imam-ul-Haq and rested Shaheen Shah Afridi, naming highly-rated 21-year-old Saim Ayub to make his debut while recalling off-spinner Sajid Khan.

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

 

Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Aamir Jamal, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza

If the hosts win the traditional New Year's fixture, it will mark the first time since they beat England 5-0 during the 2013-14 Ashes that they have whitewashed a Test series (of three or more matches) with the same XI.

Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have all proved physically resilient over the past six months, playing six, five and four matches respectively during their six-Test tour of the UK.

The trio also played all but one match of the recent ODI World Cup together.

There is a 10-day break between the Sydney Test and the first of two Tests against West Indies in Adelaide, and then a further month in between the second Windies Test at the Gabba and the two-Test tour of New Zealand beginning in late February.

Cummins believes the star trio could play all of them, keeping the likes of Scott Boland, Lance Morris and Michael Neser on the sidelines.

"Potentially. It'd be rare," the skipper told reporters on Tuesday. "Normally each summer there's something that pops up. But all three of us are really fresh.

"Even the way this summer is spread out a bit more, there's two Tests on, then a bit of a gap, then two Tests, then a bit of a gap, then New Zealand. We'll give it a chance. It's all gone pretty smoothly so far."

The SCG has a reputation for taking turn but the hosts did not consider bringing a second spinner into the team to partner Nathan Lyon. The pitch appeared well-grassed on the eve of Pakistan's final match of their Australian tour.

The visitors had been eager to play Abrar Ahmed in this Test, with the leg-spinner appearing to train strongly in recent days and bowling a long spell in the nets on Monday.

Pakistan have turned to off-spinner Sajid instead, with Abrar continuing to battle an injury to his right leg. There are also concerns over the workload of Shaheen, who has bowled more overs than any bowler over the past 18 months.

"Personally and internally as a team, we've never had any sort of doubts with Shaheen," captain Shan Masood said of the star left-arm quick.

"If you look at his efforts, he's bowled the most number of overs in a while in world cricket. He's playing every game, he gives it 150 per cent.

"Even in training, you'll never see Shaheen shying away from giving 150 per cent. He'll be running after balls and there'll be a lot of boys shouting, 'easy, easy, don't hurt yourself', because we've seen him do that in the past.

"Shaheen's our main guy … he's integral for us and it's up to us to also make sure that we're looking after him in the right way, and making sure that physically and mentally he's in a good space."

The Bureau of Meteorology suggests there is a chance of rain for each day of the Test, but it the weather is not expected to be as disruptive as it was for last year's SCG Test against South Africa when the entire third day was washed out.

Cummins is not setting much store in the forecast either way.

"It always seems to be a talking point," he said. "Even on game day it says it's a 100 per cent chance of rain, then you get on for a whole day, and the next day it's supposed to be blues skies and it rains all day. You never really know but (the forecast) does look pretty good."

While the Test is a dead rubber in terms of the series result against Pakistan, Cummins insisted there was plenty at stake.

"Now that the World Test Championship is there, every Test match is important," said the captain, who led Australia to their maiden WTC final victory in July last year.

"We've got a couple of points to make up from some over rates in England (during the Ashes). Every game has context and it’s a home Test match, every Test match you play is big. Every one in Australia is even bigger."

NRMA Insurance Test series v Pakistan

First Test: Australia won by 360 runs

Second Test: Australia won by 79 runs

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (10.30am AEDT)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi