Whether or not Mitchell Swepson makes his Test debut at the SCG this week, Nathan Lyon is certain it is only a matter of time before the leg-spinner is bowling in tandem with him.
The annual tradition of calling for Australia to select two spinners for the Sydney Test, a request they have only granted twice since Shane Warne retired, has a few extra factors in its favour this year despite the forecast of rain and the likely availability of their entire pace attack.
The first is the Aussies' comprehensive dismantling of England that seen them take an unassailable 3-0 Vodafone Ashes series lead, a ledger Lyon is confident Australia can increase to 5-0 by the end of the Hobart day-night Test.
A second is Cameron Green's emergence as a genuine allrounder. Good judges believe the No.6 batter is capable of bowling more and with a newer ball, having dismissed England's star batters Joe Root and Ben Stokes twice each this series.
But the most convincing argument for two tweakers is the arrival of the most qualified spin bowler from domestic ranks in the Lyon-era, with Swepson's dominant campaign last summer netting him 32 wickets in only five games and leading Queensland to the Sheffield Shield title.
While there is no doubt Lyon remains the country's No.1 Test spinner, even he is certain the notion of Swepson pulling on a Baggy Green is now a matter of 'when' and not 'if'.
Adding to the inevitability is the prospect of Australia embarking on multiple subcontinental Test tours, where spin bowlers generally play a greater role than at home, over the coming 18 months.
There are plans to tour Pakistan for three Tests from next month, while series in Sri Lanka (set for later this year) and India (expected to be held in 2023) are not far off either. There was also a Test tour of Bangladesh, meant to be played last year, that was postponed to an as-yet-unconfirmed point in the future.
"I know 'Swepo' is ready to go," Lyon told the Unplayable Podcast. "We've had plenty of conversations about potentially playing two spinners in Sydney, but also about building our relationship for when we head over to the subcontinent.
"We've got a lot of stuff coming to us just around the corner. We're building that friendship - our friendship is really good, I've got a lot of time for Swepo.
"I'm really looking forward to our partnership when we get a chance to play (together) with ball in hand. Two spin (bowlers) from either end – that will be nice.
"I've got absolutely no doubt about Swepo when he gets his opportunity to debut that he will take his chance and he will bowl extremely really well.
"He's been Queensland's best player for the last number of years in my eyes. No doubt he will get his opportunity at some stage and he'll take it."
But Lyon, who will play in his 11th SCG Test this week, admits he is a little bemused by the ongoing – and, in his opinion, outdated – fascination with spin bowling at the iconic Sydney venue.
Lyon's 38 SCG wickets have come at 40.94, up from his overall career bowling average of 32.33 in Australia.
Other spinners have fared worse there over the course of his Test career.
Since Lyon's first Test at the ground in 2012, slow bowlers have collectively taken 90 wickets at 49.01. That makes the SCG statistically the worst Test ground in Australia to bowl spin at apart from the Gabba (where spinners average 49.75 over that same period).
They have had more success at the MCG (where they have averaged 41.89 since 2012), in Perth (a combined average of 42.90 at the WACA Ground and Optus Stadium) and Adelaide (44.41).
"It's not the most spin friendly," Lyon conceded of the SCG. "A lot of people are stuck in the real old days where there were big footmarks there – trust me, I would have loved to bowl on them.
"I've had a mixture of wickets here in Sydney where it has spun, a couple haven't spun, (some) have been a lot of hard work, some have been a bit lively with the seam.
"It's been a mixture of bags of different wickets ... but it's probably not the most spin friendly place I have ever been to."
That, along with early forecasts of wet weather during the Test plus the possibility both Josh Hazlewood and Jhye Richardson will be pushing to regain their places in the XI, could mean Swepson's wait for a Test cap goes on a little longer.
But, with multiple Australian players as well as current coach Justin Langer having identified defeating India in India as one of their major long-term goals, Lyon is boldly confident that Swepson is the right man to partner him in their quest for a first Test series victory in Asia in over a decade.
Successful teams on the subcontinent, and in India in particular, have heavily relied on dual finger-spin threats. Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel have made India virtually unbeatable on their turning wickets, while the last visiting team to knock them off at home was an England side led by Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar in 2012.
Australia put up an admirable fight on their last attempt in India with Lyon and Stephen O'Keefe both excelling in 2017.
But Lyon pointed out Swepson's ability to bowl at a brisker pace that most other leg-spinners will give him the same effectiveness as those leading finger-spinners.
"A lot of teams have had success in certain Test matches in India, in subcontinental conditions, with two finger spinners. That's purely down to the fact that (finger spinners) are able to, in my opinion, get more pace on the ball," said Lyon.
"But Swepo's pace is probably on the higher scale (for a) wrist spinner than most typical ones. I do think he would be extremely hard to play over there.
"I think Swepo and myself offer a high possibility of winning Test matches over there."
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/nat...and-pakistan-india-sri-lanka-tours/2022-01-02
