Australian pacer Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green will miss the third and final Test against South Africa due to their respective injuries, Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Friday.
Starc suffered an injury on the third day of the second Test, which Australia won by an innings and 182 runs to seal the series. Meanwhile, Green has been given the time to recover from a broken finger he sustained in Melbourne.
The final match of the three-match Test series is scheduled to begin on January 4 in Sydney.
Australia’s national selectors have added Ashton Agar and Matthew Renshaw to the squad as replacement players for Starc and Green.
Renshaw, who played his last Test in 2018, recently scored a brilliant double century against New South Wales. He also returned to bat as an opener for Queensland this year with an eye on replacing David Warner or Usman Khawaja in the future.
“Matthew is included as a versatile batting option who is in good form, including an unbeaten century in the recent PM’s XI tour match against the West Indies,” selector Tony Dodemaide told the reporters.
Agar, on the other hand, played the last of his four Tests in 2017 in Chattogram. His inclusion hints the Aussies are expecting a characteristically dry surface at the SCG, with Dodemaide citing the left-hander’s aptitude with the bat could well contribute to the hosts’ effort.
“Ashton offers a second spin option should the Sydney pitch be conducive to turn, as it has done in the past.
“He also brings a solid batting component,” added Dodemaide.
Australia squad for the Sydney Test:
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner
