Siddle may be rested for Adelaide Test: Report

Perth: Paceman Peter Siddle may be rested for the fourth and final Test against India at Adelaide as per Cricket Australia’s rotation policy, a media report speculated today. Since the Adelaide pitch is likely to assist spinners, Nathan Lyon is expected to come back into the side, with young pacer Mitchell Starc retaining his place. “In a major escalation of the new rotation policy, attack leader Peter Siddle may be rested from the last Test against India, beginning next Tuesday, to continue Starc’s rapid development,” Herald Sun reported. [caption id=“attachment_185697” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“In a major escalation of the new rotation policy, attack leader Peter Siddle may be rested from the last Test against India, beginning next Tuesday. Reuters”]  [/caption] The report said the host board was keen to preserve its resources ahead of Ashes and hence the planning. “Convincingly regaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy by flogging India in each of the first three Tests means planning for next year now looms even larger, with Test tours to India and England, then a home Ashes series,” it read. An unchanged squad is expected to be named for Adelaide today or tomorrow now that Shane Watson has been ruled out again. The newspaper also wrote, “It would take a major leap of faith for Siddle to embrace the idea of rotating out of the side, given he only fought his way back four months ago when Ryan Harris broke down in Sri Lanka.” “There have been any number of success stories this summer and Siddle is one of them, another impressive product of bowling coach Craig McDermott, who insists on pitching the ball up,” the report further said. It was also believed that it makes sense to let Starc play and rest Siddle. “Siddle’s workload issues may present the ideal opportunity to continue playing Starc, who was outstanding in Perth as part of an imposing four-man pace attack.” PTI