West Australian pace ace Jhye Richardson is poised to play his first Test in four years, set to make up a four-man Australian pace attack in the Boxing Day Test on Friday.
Richardson was seen marking out his run-up at the MCG on Friday morning alongside Queenslander Michael Neser. That pair were battling Brendan Doggett for the final two spots in Australia’s pace battery, but there was no sign of Doggett on the playing surface in a strong sign selectors will leave him sidelined.
The 29-year-old West Aussie played the most recent of his three Tests for Australia at Adelaide in the 2020/21 Ashes series, where he took a second-innings five-wicket haul.
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Richardson was sent for shoulder surgery in January — which cut his season short last campaign — with an eye specifically on this series.
Stand-in Australian captain Steve Smith revealed at his Christmas-morning press conference selectors had snubbed Victorian spinner Todd Murphy, who had looked poised to replace the injured Nathan Lyon.
That’s been put down to a green wicket Smith described as “furry” and overcast conditions. Victoria is in the thick of an unseasonal cold snap across Christmas, with the weather not tipped to pass 17 degrees on Boxing Day, which means the wicket is expected to hold together nicely.
Smith has replaced dropped WA batsman Josh Inglis in the middle-order and replaces injured captain Pat Cummins.
