Former Test spinner Steve O'Keefe says Nathan Lyon is doing the work of two tweakers, but insists there's no shortage of suitable contenders should Australia require another slow bowler.
Lyon, already Australia's most prolific Test finger spinner of all time, added five more scalps in the series opener against England in Brisbane.
Barring injuries or a sudden decline in form, the bowling quartet of Lyon and his three NSW colleagues in pacemen Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood look set to torment England for the next four Tests.
Given the selectors' reluctance to pick an allrounder at No.6 in Brisbane, it seems there would be few chances of a second spinner playing a Test this summer.
But O'Keefe, who played in Australia's last Test prior to the Ashes against Bangladesh in September, insists there's good spin support for Lyon if needed.
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Among the candidates he nominated were Victorian left-arm finger spinner Jon Holland, who took 5-67 in the NSW first innings of the current Sheffield Shield game in Sydney.
"I think it's refreshing to see a lot of (spin) guys bowling well," O'Keefe told AAP after stumps on day three.
"Jon (Holland) is bowling probably as well as he's ever bowled and deserved his five-for.
"If you look right across the country, I think (Queensland's Mitchell) Swepson is bowling well.
"(WA's) Ashton Agar has done well every time he's got an opportunity for Australia.
"I think there's a lot of guys probably in contention if there is a second spot.
"But at the moment the way that Gazza (Lyon) is bowling he's doing the work for two spinners on his own, isn't he, he's bowling that well.
"It's just a nice problem to have if selectors have to go and choose."
NSW tweaker O'Keefe could also be a contender now he has returned from a broken finger.
The left-arm orthodox bowler took 3-125 from 35 overs in Victoria's marathon first innings and was responsible for ending the 278-run knock of dropped Test batsman Glenn Maxwell.
O'Keefe top-scored with 50 in the Blues' first innings and will be paying more attention to his batting this summer.
"I've probably neglected my batting over the last couple of years," he said.
"I'm going to make a real habit of working harder at it this season."
