Tasmanian fast bowler Jackson Bird has been rewarded for his impressive Boxing Day Test debut, included in a four-man Australian pace attack for the third Test against Sri Lanka starting in Sydney today.
The home team is so intent on crushing Sri Lanka into the SCG grass with the first genuine four-pronged pace attack seen in Sydney in almost half a century, that it has overlooked a chance to plan ahead for next month's Test tour of India.
Mitchell Johnson put two Sri Lankan batsmen out of the series with his vicious short-pitched bowling in Melbourne last week.
And a quartet of quicks baying for more blood and a series clean sweep on a green-tinged Sydney wicket was deemed preferable over a chance to cast one eye on the upcoming Indian tour by trialling spinning all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.
Maxwell will instead carry the drinks, with Mitchell Starc back in the squad, Sydney-bred Bird and Peter Siddle to round out the bowling arsenal alongside spinner Nathan Lyon.
"We've got to keep going with our momentum and just try and crush them," said a ruthless Dave Warner.
The last time Australia fielded four recognised quicks was way back in 1954-55 when Ray Lindwall, Alan Davidson, Ron Archer and Bill Johnston were unleashed on England.
Archer was an all-rounder but opened the bowling in that match.
Captain Michael Clarke, determined to send retiring champion Michael Hussey out a winner, said the pace battery would be more about winning than killing.
"You can expect some good fast bowling but it doesn't necessarily need to be short. It's about execution," Clarke said.
"We have plans for each individual player. Some of those plans involve short- pitched bowling.
"I don't think you will see anything ridiculous."
Clarke said he wouldn't let the upcoming four-Test tour of India influence selections for the SCG Test, despite the fact Australia's cricketers will be short on match practice before they fly to the sub-continent.
"The selectors need to make sure they're thinking about the future and I'm sure the Indian tour is at the front of their mind," he said. "But in regards to me as captain and the boys playing the game, our focus is to win this Test and to have beaten Sri Lanka 3-0."
