Captain Michael Clarke has played down expectations offspinner Nathan Lyon will be Australia’s trump card in the fourth Test against India beginning in Adelaide on Tuesday.
Former Adelaide Oval groundsman Lyon has been recalled for his first home Test, forcing a change to the four-man pace attack used on the bouncy WACA pitch for the third Test.
Young quick Mitchell Starc is 12th man.
Clarke is desperate to complete a four-nil sweep in the series to help push his fourth-ranked side closer to top spot.
The skipper is expecting the pitch to offer some variable bounce late in the five-day match, but he says this could play into the hands of his quicks rather than simply banking on Lyon to take a bag of wickets.
“I definitely have a lot of confidence in ‘Lyno’,” Clarke said.
“I would hate to put that sort of expectation on him. “Because it spins doesn’t guarantee you’re going to take wickets as well.”
Lyon’s personal haul of 2-180 in two Tests against India has been underwhelming compared to his success in Sri Lanka and South Africa last year and his 10 wickets at 12.60 against New Zealand.
“Throughout this series we have seen a lot more grass on the wicket so the quicks have played a bigger part,” Clarke said.
“But I think day four and five out here, especially day five, I think the ball might go up-and-down a little bit so I think the quicks will still play a big part there.
“Nathan knows these conditions as good as anyone. He has played enough cricket here and I think he’ll play an important role here in helping us trying to win this Test match.”
Clarke says the expected hot conditions should favour reverse swing, with Ben Hilfenhaus to play a key role.
“And that is why I say it’s probably as close to Indian conditions as you’re going to get in Australia so as a batting unit we have been working on that in the nets,” Clarke said, aware that India left-armer Zaheer Khan is a master of the reverse-swing art.
“We have faced a bit of reverse swing and a fair bit of spin, so I think our preparation has been spot on.”
India named a 12-man squad including two spinners, Ravi Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha.
Pace bowler Vinay Kumar has been dropped while wicketkeeper and skipper MS Dhoni is suspended because of the slow over rate in Perth.
One-Test player Wriddhiman Saha replaces Dhoni while vice-captain Virender Sehwag will captain the side for the fourth time in his 96-Test career.
