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THE "romance" of trouncing England 5-0 with an unchanged team is in danger of being mugged by a grassy pitch which has James Faulkner in line to play the last Test.
Unless SCG pitch conditions have changed significantly when a final inspection is made on Friday morning by selectors, Faulkner will replace George Bailey for the fifth Test.
Australia was always going to wait until Friday morning before deciding on the fitness of Ryan Harris (knee) and Shane Watson (groin) but both bowled at practice on Thursday without obvious discomfort and look set to play.
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However a grassy strip combined with an uncertain weather forecast means playing the same XI in all five Tests was always going to be seriously challenged.
Certainly Clarke was not ruling out the possibility of change when he spoke after training on Thursday.
"I think it would be extremely romantic," Clarke said of playing the same XI in all five Tests.
"But I think you've got to pick the best 11 players to help you have success in the conditions you're playing."
The state of the pitch will have a major bearing on that, as Clarke observed, with the chance of unsettled weather today.
"I want to see it again in the morning," he said of the pitch.
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"I think a day of sun today and a lot of rolling it might whiten up a bit. But that's as much grass as I've seen on an SCG pitch. It feels pretty hard at the moment. Looking at it today I think it will certainly suit the fast bowlers."
Curator Tom Parker admitted the pitch had a "green tinge" but claimed the more it was cut and rolled the whiter it would become.
"I anticipate it's going to be very similar to what we've seen here last year," Parker said. "We're looking for good consistent carry to the keeper and we should see a bit of bounce in this pitch as well given the amount of grass on it and the mature grass that's on this pitch."
Asked if he would bowl first Parker said it would depend on conditions.
"If it's overcast and the forecast is for some possible light showers or drizzly rain and if it's like that you may well bowl," Parker said.
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"And I think you've seen here in the past when it's overcast and cloudy the ball does move around a bit here at the SCG so we've really got to wait for the day and hopefully it's a bright sunny day."
In the Sydney Test last year, against Sri Lanka, Australia batted then wicket-keeper Matt Wade at six, where he scored an unbeaten century, and Mitchell Johnson batted at seven to fit Mitchell Starc back into the side as an extra fast bowler.
And Clarke bowled first when he won the toss, although he is due to lose one after winning all four this series.
It would be no surprise if Brad Haddin, the second highest run scorer in the series, was moved to six on Friday, ahead of Bailey, and Faulkner was slotted in at seven.
Haddin at six and Faulkner seven is the same line-up Australia also chose for the last Test at The Oval in August.
Likely teams:
Australia: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (c), Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon.
England: Alastair Cook (c), Joe Root, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Gary Ballance, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Scott Borwick, Stuart Broad, Boyd Rankin, Jimmy Anderson.
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