Australia’s assistant coach Daniel Vettori has backed the team’s call to go in with an all-seam attack for the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, while making it clear that spin bowling still matters in Test cricket.With senior off-spinner Nathan Lyon ruled out because of a hamstring injury, Australia chose not to play a specialist spinner in Sydney. This marked the first time since 1888 that Australia fielded an all-pace attack at the SCG. It was also the third occasion in the ongoing Ashes series that Australia opted for only fast bowlers.
The SCG, once known for surfaces that helped spinners, has in recent years offered more help to seam bowlers.“That’s the thing. It’s history – it’s a long time ago,” Vettori said, referring to the ground’s past reputation. He pointed out that spinners have averaged 53 across the last three Tests at the venue, and close to 60 when Lyon’s figures are excluded.“You’ve seen over the last three years it’s been diminishing results for spin bowlers here, which is obviously not something that we’d like, but it’s the nature of the surface,” Vettori said.Australia’s position in the series supports the decision. They lead 3-1, and their loss in the two-day Test in Melbourne was not linked to the absence of a spinner.Vettori, who took 362 wickets in 113 Tests for New Zealand, said the recent trend does not mean spin bowling is being pushed aside in the longer format.Australia have gone with an all-seam attack in four of their last six Tests. Two of those matches were pink-ball games in which Lyon was available.“It’s probably just a point in time,” Vettori said. “I don’t think it’s going to be something that’s going to continue on for years on end.“I think spin bowling is incredibly important to Test match cricket. I think people love watching it when it’s at its absolute best and when conditions can assist the spin bowler.“But we’re just in the stage now where that’s not the case. I wouldn’t be surprised that it changed in the future.“I think at some stage it will get back to possibly how it was preceding these last couple of years.”
