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Lehmann to study high-pressure game in SA

Australia coach Darren Lehmann will spend the weekend watching some of the nation's Ashes aspirants and Test stars in a Sheffield Shield game at Adelaide Oval.

The message from coach Darren Lehmann to the nation's best domestic cricketers is clear.

"Everyone's a chance," Lehmann said on the eve of the opening round of the Sheffield Shield season.

Australia's XI for next month's Ashes opener is far from settled, with selectors' biggest dilemma being who bats at No.6 and No.7.

Lehmann, who will be in Adelaide to watch the day-night Shield clash between NSW and South Australia, is ready to cast the net wide in his selection hunt.

"It's a great opportunity for everyone to put their hand up over the next three rounds of Shield cricket ... and really push their case," Lehmann told radio station 5AA.

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"These three Shield rounds are high pressure ... so if someone preforms really well in these three games then it's going to go a good long way to making the Test squad.

"It's not often we get three (Shield games before the first Test) ... we should have a good idea of who we want."

Lehmann confirmed South Australia keeper Alex Carey is in the mix to be a bolter in the squad that will face England in the first Test that starts on November 23 at the Gabba.

"He's been very impressive. I've been very impressed by him and (Peter) Nevill and (Matthew) Wade in the JLT (domestic one-day competition)," he said.

"Obviously a different format now, it's a chance to bat longer, bat big and make some big runs."

When pressed on the wicketkeeping debate, Lehmann noted "glovework is paramount still ... then we want runs".

"At the moment our six and seven have really struggled for the past three or four years. That's an area we need to improve on," he said.

Lehmann is keen to assess how the pitch behaves under lights at the venue that will host the inaugural day-night Ashes Test, with Test spearhead Mitchell Starc set to ramp up his return from a serious foot injury.

"It looks like he (Starc) is getting into some form, which is ominous for the summer and great for us. It'll be interesting to see how South Australia handle it," Lehmann said of the left-armer, who is yet to play a first-class game since breaking down in March.


3 min read

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Source: AAP



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