I'm really intrigued about the make-up of our side for this Test. Yes, there's absolutely still a Test to win and 2-0 to secure, nothing should be taken for granted, and SA would've competed a lot harder at the Mount if they'd caught decently. So that's the absolutely priority.
But it's a real head scratcher as to what is our best XI going forward to Australia, and specifically the Basin and Hagley. Those are two pretty cast-iron seamer decks, where you play four seamers if you can - and we probably can, because we can play two spin options in our top 7, whether that's Santner/Phillips and Rachin. That's why O'Rourke is playing this week.
So O'Rourke, if he bowls OK this week, might be in with a shot. Mitchell comes back in against Australia, potentially either for Santner or at a push for Phillips. It's a really difficult one. Our batting was strong last week, but you feel like we need all the firepower we can manage to bowl Australia out. But if we play O'Rourke, Jamieson bats 8 and 8-11 looks brittle. Then if you drop Santner, and it turns a bit, Phillips/Rachin aren't bonafide Test options.
I guess part of the allure of O'Rourke, too, in the selectors eyes is they see how Jamal and Joseph rocked Australia with pace. Dunno if our pitches will have quite the same zing, or if O'Rourke is that similar sort of bustly bowler. O'Rourke does look like he bowls well to LHers, though, which I think was part of his success v Australia A and Australia have Khawaja, Head and Carey in the top 7.
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