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Jarrod Kimber on Australia's XI for the final Test
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James Faulkner,
the bowling allrounder, will make his Test debut at The Oval on
Wednesday and will bat at No.7 as the Australians search desperately for
a way to end their failed Ashes campaign on a high. Faulkner and Mitchell Starc
have been included for the final Test while Usman Khawaja and Jackson
Bird have been dropped, and the batting order will be reshuffled to
feature Shane Watson at No.3 and Brad Haddin at No.6.
The inclusion of Starc was expected but the naming of Faulkner was a
major surprise given that it is Australia's batting that has been their
biggest issue on this tour. Faulkner has scored 111 runs in the tour
matches and has been dismissed only once, but there is no question that
his bowling is his stronger suit: in 37 first-class matches, he has made
eight half-centuries and is yet to register a hundred, but has 132
wickets at 22.87.
Faulkner will become the 17th player used by the Australians in this
Ashes series, leaving backup wicketkeeper Matthew Wade as the only squad
member not to have played a Test on the trip. He will also be
Australia's 435th Test cricketer, and the 18th man to make his debut
under the captaincy of Michael Clarke, who took charge only two and a
half years ago. Clarke said Faulkner's fighting attitude was as much a
reason for his inclusion as his record.
"As we've seen so far in this series, statistics, records, first-class
performances haven't meant that much," Clarke said. "It's about finding a
way on that day or over those five days to have success. I know James
Faulkner has got the strength to do that whether it be with the bat or
with the ball.
"Like a lot of our young players, he's a wonderful young talent. But I
think he's got the toughness to mix it with any opposition in any form
of the game at the highest level. He's a fighter. He's a competitor. He
might not look the best all the time but he'll find a way to stay out
there and help his partner go on and make a hundred, or make sure he's
batting with the tail and find a way to get them through. I think he's
got that in him.
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"With the ball, he's extremely competitive and will find a way to take
wickets, as he's done so far on this tour and in the shorter forms of
the game. I think generally the better conditions are for batting, the
better bowler James is, because he's at you all the time and he's
extremely competitive. I think he's the right character for this team
and I think you'll have a good opportunity to see just how much talent
he's got in this Test match."
Faulkner will provide the Australians with a fifth seam-bowling option
at The Oval, while Watson will be available to bowl despite picking up a
groin injury during the Chester-le-Street Test. Watson's move to first
drop will mean on this Ashes tour he has occupied the opening role, No.4
and No.6, and this year he will have batted in every position in the
top six.
"Shane will be able to bowl," Clarke said. "Shane will certainly play
that allrounder role once again. But I think it's an extra string to
James' bow that he can bowl as many overs as possible. He's fit and
strong and he'll play a big part with the ball. He adds that extra
option to help us take 20 wickets.
"But I think it's the overall package that James brings: his toughness,
his performances of late in whatever form of the game he's played, and
the fact that he's not just a bowler, he can certainly make some very
handy and crucial runs for us."
Faulkner will be the second debutant used by the Australians in the
series after Ashton Agar played in the first two matches at Trent Bridge
and Lord's. Agar will not be at The Oval for the final Test, though, as
he will be sent home early due to illness.
"Ashton has had a mild viral illness for the past week and needs some
time to rest and recuperate," team doctor Peter Brukner said. "It has
been a long tour and while he has handled the pressure extremely well,
we thought it would be a good idea for him to get home as soon possible
to have a short break before preparing for the domestic season."
Australia: 1 Chris Rogers, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4
Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Steven Smith, 6 Brad Haddin (wk), 7 James
Faulkner, 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Ryan Harris, 11 Nathan
Lyon
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here
Feeds: Brydon Coverdale
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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