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Cartwright to debut; O’Keefe replaces Bird
- Updated: January 2, 2017
Allrounder Hilton Cartwright will become Australia’s 450th Test cricketer after being confirmed as a debutant for the third Test against Pakistan in Sydney.
Cartwright will bat at No.6 and his inclusion is one of two changes to the Australia XI that won in Melbourne, with left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe chosen as a second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon, and fast bowler Jackson Bird left out. O’Keefe comes in for the fourth Test of his career and will be hoping to impress ahead of selection for Australia’s Test squad to tour India next month.
Cartwright’s inclusion marks a return to Australia’s preference for picking an allrounder at No.6, a selection policy that was ditched after the first Test of the home summer, when Mitchell Marsh was dropped for Callum Ferguson, who was then axed for Nic Maddinson. Although Cartwright averages 44.50 as a first-class batsman, he has only 15 wickets from 16 matches, but captain Steven Smith believes Cartwright’s bowling has improved significantly.
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