Australian coach Andrew McDonald has suggested Lance Morris will receive a Test debut in Sydney, should Mitch Starc be unavailable.
McDonald – in an interview with SEN Test Cricket before play on day three – stopped short of admitting Starc wouldn't play the new year’s Test. But various reports have stated the left armer has already been ruled out of the third Test against South Africa with a finger injury suffered on day one at the MCG and is now in a race against time to line up against India in February.
However, Starc is expected to play some sort of role for Australia for the remainder of the current Test.
“He’ll play a role with bat and ball over the course of the game. He’ll be limited and his capabilities won't be as full as he would like, but he’ll be able to do a role for us this morning,” McDonald stated.
“That’s a positive sign this morning.”
"He'll be limited." 😬
— SEN Cricket (@SEN_Cricket) December 27, 2022
Andrew McDonald reveals the seriousness of Mitch Starc's finger injury. #Cricket #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/Xfg2pDpTy6
He later added: “We always look to complement the attack… we see Lance Morris added to the squad, there’s clearly a role there for him if Mitchell Starc was to go down.
“So he may be looking like he’ll get an opportunity in Sydney based on the balance of that attack.”
Morris – a 24-year-old quick out of West Australia – was added to the Test squad in early December as cover for Pat Cummins at the time.
Michael Neser – who played in Adelaide against the West Indies – is the other fast bowler currently in the Australian squad.
Reacting to McDonald’s comments, veteran cricket journalist Peter Lalor says the decision to swap Starc for Morris in Sydney would make sense.
“Lance Morris is cover for Mitchell Starc, that’s how it works,” he stated.
“(Scott) Boland was brought in as cover for (Josh) Hazlewood and Morris was there for Starc, it’s like for like.
“So it’s interesting to hear that from Andrew McDonald.”
SEN’s Gerard Whateley agreed.
“I thought that was really clear that Starc’s not going to play at the SCG and I fully expect Lance Morris to (play) on what we were just told, which is a little bit of a thrilling prospect in its own right,” he added.
Cam Green is also in significant doubt to play in Sydney after suffering a broken index finger on day two.
The all-rounder enjoyed his first five-wicket haul on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test but retired hurt on six after being struck by Anrich Nortje.
The Sydney Test starts on January 4.