Lyon likes the look of potential Aussie debutant

Australia's premier spin bowler Nathan Lyon has already begun forging a partnership with new Test squad mate Mitchell Swepson who remains a chance to earn a Baggy Green Cap in the series finale against New Zealand starting at the SCG on Friday.

Swepson joined the men's Test squad for the second Domain Series match in Melbourne that ended on Sunday with a crushing 247-run win to the home team, and spent some time sitting boundary-side with incumbent tweaker Lyon.

While the likelihood of 26-year-old Swepson earning a Test debut later this week remains entirely dependent on the nature of the pitch that awaits in Sydney and Australia's willingness to change a winning combination, Lyon believes the Queenslander will acquit himself admirably should the opportunity arise.

And perhaps more importantly, would form a potent partnership with Lyon who this summer has leap-frogged former greats Waqar Younis (Pakistan) and Malcolm Marshall (West Indies) to install himself among the top-20 wicket-takers the Test game has seen.

"Mitch has been bowling brilliantly for Queensland," Lyon said in Melbourne today.

"He's a great fella to start off with, but he gives it a rip and that's what I really love to see.

"I'm a big fan of Mitch, it's great to see him in and around our squad so he gets his chance and fingers crossed we can have a great combination together.

"I had a really good couple of chats to him throughout the week on the boundary (at the MCG), and watched him bowl in the nets.

"I haven't actually seen him bowl in a game for a while now, but he seems really clear on his plans and we just spoke about not changing when he gets the opportunity at the highest level.

"What works has obviously got him to this level, so if he gets his opportunity I just said 'stay strong to yourself and back yourself and what's worked in state cricket - if you give it a chance long enough in your international career you'll get some rewards'.

"I really enjoy bowling with another spinner.

"We get through our overs quite quickly and feel like we can build some pressure.

"If 'Sweppo' does get his opportunity, to play alongside another leg-spinner is going to be pretty exciting but it's not up to me to make that call."

Australia has not employed a pair of specialist spinners in Test matches at the SCG – the venue in Australia that has been long regarded as the most conducive to spin bowling – since Lyon bowled in tandem with left-arm orthodox Steve O'Keefe against Pakistan three years ago.

However, in order to achieve team balance in that match and the 2016 New Year Test that preceded it (against the West Indies) in which Lyon also played alongside along O'Keefe, Australia included seam-bowling all-rounders Hilton Cartwright (2017) and Mitchell Marsh (2016).

The absence of an allrounder who provides an additional seam bowling option makes it unlikely the national selectors would consider the dual-spinner combination, unless they were prepared to enter the Test with just five specialist batters.

That scenario would also likely require the omission of Travis Head, named player of the match in the MCG Test following his first-innings century, with Matthew Wade called upon to take up the responsibility of back-up seamer should the front-line quicks require rest or suffer injury.

But Wade's bowling in the Domain Series against NZ so far has yielded 0-21 from a fairly forgettable three overs, and as Lyon noted today the current starting XI already includes an auxiliary spinner with Marnus Labuschagne able to send down serviceable leg breaks.

The other factor that might count against Swepson earning a Test debut is the form of the revamped pace attack at the MCG where James Pattinson (six), Pat Cummins (five) and Mitchell Starc (two) shared a bulk of the Black Caps wickets to fall.

As Lyon explained, none of those fast bowlers will voluntarily make way for an extra spinner.

And Lyon himself laughed off a suggestion from former great Shane Warne that Australia's most successful off-spinner might consider taking a brief break to enable Swepson some international game time.

"Did Warney ever want a rest and give Stuart MacGill a go?" Lyon asked, noting the lack of opportunity afforded Warne's leg-spin rival at the height of their concurrent careers.

"I won't be resting.

"I haven't met any Australian cricketers that would like to be rested.

"It's that hard playing Test cricket, but it's that rewarding as well so every opportunity you get to play cricket for Australia it means the world to us.

"So I can't imagine Mitch Starc, Pat (Cummins) or Patto (Pattinson) putting his hand up to say I need a rest.

'I know talking to those guys just after the game last night they're pretty pumped about coming up to Sydney and hopefully going three-nil up in the series against the number two team in the world.

"There's definitely no-one in that bowling cartel that really wants to put their hand up and say 'I want a rest'."

Domain Test Series v New Zealand

Australia squad: David Warner, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c, wk), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson, Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson

New Zealand: Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson (c)

First Test: Australia won by 296 runs in Perth

Second Test: Australia won by 247 runs

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)