Glenn Maxwell might not yet be the only Victorian in Australia’s XI to play Sri Lanka on Wednesday, with selectors set to end Jon Holland’s four-year Test exile.
Australia’s selectors have a litany of options up their sleeve ahead of the opening Test in Galle, with Nathan Lyon joined by incumbent leggie Mitch Swepson as well as Holland, ODI orthodox spinner Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy in Sri Lanka.
But despite performing admirably and without luck against Pakistan, selectors look set to recall 35-year-old Jon Holland ahead of Swepson to partner Lyon.
Suddenly, though, with Pakistan-tour member Ashton Agar unavailable due to a side strain, Holland has catapulted back into the selection frame after last featuring in 2018.
He has played four Tests, taking nine wickets at 63.77 in the subcontinent.
But the fact the prolific Sheffield Shield wicket-taker made his debut in Galle in 2016 could tip the scales in the favour of the Victorian left-arm spinner.
He took two wickets in Galle on debut, before backing it up with three scalps a week later in Colombo.
Should he be selected, it would be a blow to Swepson, who had a number of chances go down during his two Tests in Pakistan.
On the slow, turning decks of Pakistan though, Australia’s national selector could favour the tweakers of Holland ahead of Swepson’s leg-spin.
Kuhnemann had rocketed into calculation with his encouraging performances in the recent ODI series, where the Queensland left-armer took six wickets in four matches and finished with figures of 2/26 in the final match last weekend.
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