Green and Murphy no certainties as Australia ponder another reshuffle for Boxing Day

Webster batted before Green, who was the last player to leave the nets on Tuesday after Australia’s training session at the MCG.

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The versatile Webster, a former spin-bowling all-rounder, gives selectors a slower bowling option should they decide to go in without a frontline tweaker.

McDonald had a close look on Tuesday of the MCG pitch, which is tipped by curator Matt Page to again be friendly to the seamers early. Spin played a role in last year’s Test, when Lyon and Travis Head claimed three wickets in the final session of day five.

Australia’s selectors contentiously left Lyon out in Brisbane and are considering again lining up without a specialist spinner despite Murphy’s return to the set-up.

“We’ve got some decisions to make,” McDonald said. “I just had a look at the wicket then. Do we play a spinner, don’t we play a spinner? We’ll work through that.”

Murphy pipped subcontinental specialist Matt Kuhnemann and uncapped West Australian Corey Rocchiccioli for a berth, while Queensland leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson had also been in the frame.

Battling a shoulder injury, Murphy had been in the spin wilderness after missing the final two Tests of this year’s Sri Lanka tour then being overlooked for a central contract and selection in Australia’s squads for the world Test championship final and the tour of the Caribbean.

He had previously featured in major series in India and England in 2023. His recall after a return to full fitness is a strong sign he is viewed as the long-term replacement for Lyon.

“We feel as though Todd’s back to his best,” McDonald said. “He had a couple of years where, by his own admission, he wasn’t performing to his best. He was also carrying a shoulder injury. That wasn’t declared, and sometimes people judge players’ performances without getting a full understanding of where they’re actually at.”

Lyon underwent surgery on his hamstring injury on Tuesday, and though no timeframe for his recovery has been given yet by Cricket Australia, it is likely he will miss months of action. At the age of 38, he faces an uncertain future after two severe soft tissue injuries in the past 2½ years. Both injuries were sustained in mishaps while fielding.

Though his importance to the team at home is not what it was, Lyon is vital to Australia’s hopes of a drought-busting series victory in India in 2027.

“It’ll take a lot of hard work,” McDonald said of Lyon’s recovery. “That type of injury – it’s going to be a hard period for him to get back to where he was.

“He still wants to do it, that’s the main thing. India is on the horizon – he’ll be a key part of that.

“In Adelaide, it was the best I’ve seen him bowl for a little while in terms of the shape and energy he had on the ball.”

Smith’s return means Australia’s batting order will again be reshuffled. Khawaja is set to move to five, Alex Carey to hold six and Green to drop to seven should he hold his place.

With selectors impressed by Jake Weatherald’s partnership at the top with Travis Head, Khawaja will not be returning to his long-time role as an opener in this game.

“We said openly at the start of this series, every Test match we’ll be picking separately from the previous one,” McDonald said. “Everyone in the squad is on the table, and we’ll work out how to stack them, where they fit, where we position them.

“I still like that opening position of Weatherald and Head, that has a nice little dynamic to it.”

McDonald said Richardson’s availability vindicated the decision 12 months ago to send him for surgery on his troublesome shoulder.

Selectors have long earmarked a late Ashes return for the injury-prone quick, who has built match fitness through three longer-form games.

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“We’ll make a decision around a balanced attack,” McDonald said.

“Those who saw him last week think he’s ready to go if he is selected.”

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