Cricket: Australia keen to maintain momentum

Australian spinner Bryce McGain could make his test debut in the third test against South Africa. Photo / Getty Images

CAPE TOWN - Australia laid the platform for their series win in South Africa with victory over the Proteas in a dead-rubber test in Sydney, so coach Tim Nielsen doesn't need any convincing about the importance of this week's third test.

Despite fielding their most inexperienced line-up for 20 years, Australia crushed the Proteas in Johannesburg and Durban to lead the three-match series 2-0.

But this week's Cape Town contest is Australia's last test before the Ashes series starts in July in Cardiff and Nielsen doesn't want to see his team's momentum derailed after three consecutive wins, including the Sydney victory when trailing 2-0.

"It's really important for us because this team is a young, new team so they're setting their own standards a little bit and they're putting their own footprint on the world of cricket," Nielsen said.

"It's not like it's the same guys who have been around for the past 10 years and have done it all over the world. These guys are doing it for the first time anywhere so they've got an opportunity to set their own standards, to ensure that two tests is only two-thirds of a three-test series.

"Maybe that's one of the nice things about having a young group, in that every day they wake up they can't wait to play for Australia.

"You certainly can give away some momentum in these dead rubbers. I don't think there's any such thing as a dead rubber really, you are playing a test match for Australia."

Motivation clearly won't be a problem for Australia's young brigade, including those players in their debut summers such as Phillip Hughes, Marcus North, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle and medium-pacer Andrew McDonald.

Leg-spinner Bryce McGain, a young 36, is pressing for his debut and Cape Town curator Evan Flint says he'd be surprised if Australia didn't play a specialist slow bowler.

"We went into Jo'burg, we picked a team that we thought was the best for those conditions," Nielsen said.

"As it turned out, we went with that team in Durban but we did consider very strongly playing a spinner there as well because of what the conditions looked like doing.

"But we decided, because the way the players were playing and gelling together, that was the best team.

"If we play Bryce it will be because he fits into our squad the best. If we start taking that let's-see-how-he-goes attitude (with a view to the Ashes), it almost does become a dead rubber for us.

"We will do the very best we can to pick the side that we think is best for these conditions. The spinners will definitely come into play for that.

"Nobody deserves to be left out of this team on form or performance. That'll be difficult."

- AAP