Australia unchanged for second test against New Zealand

PERTH (Reuters) – Australia will be unchanged for the second test against New Zealand starting on Friday at the WACA with seamer Peter Siddle again left out of the side, captain Steve Smith said on Thursday.

Siddle was dropped from the pace attack in favour of Josh Hazlewood for the opening match in the three-test series, which the hosts won by 208 runs in Brisbane on Monday.

“The conditions are going to be pretty similar to the Gabba,” Smith told reporters.

“It looks a very good wicket out there, so we’ve gone in with the same team.”

Although Smith was critical of the new-ball attack at the Gabba, the selectors have retained Hazlewood along with left-armers Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc to bowl on what is traditionally a quick, bouncy wicket at the WACA.

Siddle, who bowled Australia to victory in the final match of the Ashes series earlier this year with figures of 4-35 in the second innings at the Oval, said last week he was “shocked” to have been omitted from the team for the first test.

“(Siddle) was talked about,” Smith added. “He’s bowling really well at the moment, but we’ve won the last test with this line-up.”

Team: David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (captain), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Ian Ransom)