Josh Hazlewood's Test Spot In Doubt As Australia Mull Strategic Switch In South Africa

Josh Hazlewood for Australia (Source: AFP Photos)Australia are currently in South Africa, playing a three-match ODI series. The first ODI took place at Durban’s Kingsmead, where South Africa defeated Australia by 67 runs.Next, they will play two ODIs at Johannesburg’s The Wanderers Stadium and Potchefstroom’s Senwes Park on September 27 and September 30, respectively.Once the ODIs are over, Australia and South Africa, two of the primary World Test Championship (WTC) contenders, will have a three-match Test series. There, under Pat Cummins, regular quicks Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland have all been picked.Australia Coach Signals Bigger Role For SpinnersHowever, in a recent conversation with cricket.com.au, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald highlighted that they would need more assistance from spinners than the pacers in South Africa.Australia have two specialist spinners, Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon, for the Australia vs South Africa Tests. If they both play, as they did in the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka last year, both Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland might have to sit out."There has been some recent history where there have been spinning conditions. We feel as though we've got good coverage," McDonald told cricket.com.au.Also Read: Josh Inglis Ruled Out Of Australia vs South Africa ODIs, Likely To Miss Test Series Too"If we got caught in a two-spinner conversation, we'd probably want one going the either way (to Lyon's off-breaks). That's where Matty Kuhnemann got the nod," he added.How Did Kuhnemann & Lyon Play Together?Kuhnemann and Lyon played together in the January-February window last year when Australia toured Sri Lanka for a two-match series. There, they shared 30 wickets, helping their team win both matches in a statement performance.In fact, they were the leading wicket-takers of the series. Kuhnemann had 16 wickets, while Lyon had 14 scalps to his name.Lyon, widely regarded as Australia’s second-best spinner of all time after Shane Warne, will play for sure in the AUS vs SA 1st Test. It would be interesting to see whether they give Kuhnemann a chance from the get-go.So far, Kuhnemann has picked up 25 wickets across nine innings in five Tests, averaging 22.20.Why Australia Prefer Spinners Than Pacers In South Africa TestsAustralia’s first Test against South Africa is set to begin on October 9. Durban will host the series opener. It was the same venue as the first ODI between Australia and South Africa.South African spinners picked up six wickets in the first ODI, with Keshav Maharaj taking 4/20 and Bjorn Fortuin 2/34. For Australia, Adam Zampa had 2/50.As a result, Kingsmead clearly helped spinners, so Australia will have to change the approach in terms of picking the playing XI.Even the Australia vs South Africa 2nd Test, to be held in Gqeberha, will feature a new pitch. More importantly, it will also assist the spinners.Also Read: Virat Kohli Reveals Why He Changed His ODI Batting Approach