England look set to hand a Test debut to leg-spinner Mason Crane in Sydney with the badly out-of-form Moeen Ali under pressure to hold his place for the Ashes dead rubber.
Coach Trevor Bayliss hinted the 20-year-old would come into the side for the SCG Test starting on Thursday after declaring it was an opportunity to "look at some different people".
With the Australians having wrapped up the series and the English desperate to salvage some pride, Crane could be handed his maiden English cap.
If Crane does come into the side, it will most likely come at the expense of Ali, who has been expensive with the ball and struggled with the bat in the first four Tests.
Asked if Crane is ready, Bayliss said: "There's maybe no time like the present to find out.
"We think he's a guy that has got the goods, and the more he plays at this level the better he will get.
"You've got to start somewhere."
Crane made an unexpected Sheffield Shield appearance for NSW against South Australia at the same ground last year, becoming the first overseas player to turn out for the Blues since Imran Khan in 1984-85.
After being sent to play for club side Gordon as part of England's overseas placement scheme, he took 2-50 and 3-66.
The match was best remembered as Pat Cummins' first Shield match since 2011 and the Australian paceman said he walked away impressed with Crane.
"I think one of the great things about those types of young spinners, and Mason is the same, is the appetite for bowling," Cummins said.
"He just loves going and bowling and bowling in the nets. That's the best way, especially for a spinner, to get better.
"The week training with him, I faced a bit of him in the nets and he bowled really well. And in the game, first innings there might have been a few nerves and second innings he bowled quite well and we got a win.
"The wicket looks a bit different to last year, but like any leg-spinner on his day, if they land them they can be really dangerous."
Bayliss admitted off-spinning all-rounder Ali was short on form after his three wickets had come at an alarming cost of 135 each this series and he had only managed 136 runs at an average of 19.42.
"At the moment, the number of runs and wickets makes it one of his lows," Bayliss said.
"But just a couple of months ago, we were singing his praises as one of the best all-rounders in the world."
