Steven Smith confirms three debutants for Adelaide Test

Jackson Bird will be part of the Australia playing eleven on Thursday (November 24), Steven Smith confirmed on the eve of the third Test between Australia and South Africa in Adelaide. With Bird being preferred over Chadd Sayers, there will be three debutants for the home team when they take the field for the third match of the series - a day-night affair which is also a dead rubber with South Africa having already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead.

"(Bird) took five-for in the last Test match he played, he's bowled well with the pink ball in the (day-night) Shield games that he's played, bowled well in the nets out the back and deserves an opportunity," Australia captain Steve Smith said at the press conference. "Unlucky for Chadd missing out on his home ground but we've gone with Jackson Bird."

Following Australia's losses at Brisbane and Hobart, Rod Marsh, the chief of selectors, decided to resign with immediate effect. Trevor Hohns took over as chief of the new panel on an interim basis while former Australia captain Greg Chappell was also roped on. The selection panel decided to make wholesale changes to the team, bringing in as many as six players. Among them, five are set to feature in the playing eleven in Adelaide, including three debutants.

While Jackson Bird and Matthew Wade are the replacements for Joe Mennie and Peter Nevill, the batting order has three debutants in Matthew Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson. The last time three uncapped players featured in an Australian Test XI was in 2011 at the Gabba, when David Warner, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson made their debut against New Zealand.

"We've obviously made a lot of changes, and some young guys have come into the squad," Smith said. "This series has been disappointing the way it's gone for us. I'm actually really excited about the young guys coming into the group and what they bring."

Among the debutants, Nic Maddinson is the only one with some international experience, having played two Twenty20 Internationals for Australia. Smith is hopeful that the hard-hitting batsman can play his natural game in the five-day format.

"On his day he can tear any attack apart. The selectors have given him an opportunity to come in and play at No. 6 and sum up the conditions and play with a bit of freedom at the same time. He's developed his defence over the last couple of years," Smith said.

"I haven't seen him a heap of him playing in the last couple of years, but what I have seen he's playing the ball a lot later, a lot more under his eyes, which is a very good start. From there he's certainly got the shots to expand his game. He's going to continue to work hard and hopefully, he can flourish in this system."

Australia's XI for third Test: Steven Smith (c), David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird.