October 17, 2003	Friday	Sha'aban 20, 1424

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SYDNEY, Oct 16: The cricket world will get a sneak preview into Australia’s future when the world champions take on Zimbabwe in the second and final Test starting on Friday.

The Australians have spent the better part of the last decade steamrolling their opponents but the end may soon be in sight.

Although the Zimbabweans should pose few problems for Steve Waugh’s team, the second Test could signal the end of an era in Australian cricket.

Half the team’s regular big names are missing through injury or suspension, giving the selectors the chance to look at a new crop of players.

Australia have lost players in almost every department. Leg-spinner Shane Warne is serving a 12 month ban for doping and his replacement Stuart MacGill has been ruled out with a calf injury.

Australia’s fast bowling stocks have also been hard hit with their two front paceman, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, unavailable because of injury. Middle-order batsman Darren Lehmann is also out with an Achilles problem.

Lehmann, 33, only got his chance to press his claims for a permanent place after Mark Waugh was dumped a year ago and fears he may not get another chance.

“Things have been going pretty well the last two years for me and now (there’s) a situation where you’re sort of back to square one a little bit,” Lehmann said.

Australia’s injury crisis has forced selectors to choose a new-look team from the side that crushed Zimbabwe by an innings and 175 runs in Perth last week.

MacGill is replaced by Brad Hogg, paceman Brad Williams will be making his Test debut in Gillespie’s absence and Simon Katich takes over from Lehmann.

Australia should have few problems scoring enough runs against a modest Zimbabwean bowling attack. In the first Test, they scored 735-6 in their only innings, with Matthew Hayden scoring a world record 380.

But Waugh, whose own career is expected to wind up in the next 12 months, said he was concerned about his bowling ranks.

“If you miss the top bowlers out of each attack then the attacks certainly lack penetration,” he said.

Zimbabwe have got their own injury problems with fast bowler Doug Hondo in doubt with a strain, forcing the tourists to delay naming their side until the morning of the match.

Zimbabwe forced the first Test into a fifth day, a feat only a handful of teams have achieved in the past two years, and coach Geoff Marsh said they were optimistic about their chances.

“We’ve come here to win. If we don’t come here to win and play to win then we shouldn’t be here,” Marsh said.

Teams:

Australia: Steve Waugh (captain), Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Andy Bichel, Brett Lee, Brad Hogg, Brad Williams, Nathan Bracken (12th man).

Zimbabwe (likely): Heath Streak (captain), Tatenda Taibu, Dion Ebrahim, Trevor Gripper, Mark Vermeulen, Stuart Carlisle, Craig Wishart, Craig Evans, Sean Ervine, Andy Blignaut, Ray Price, Doug Hondo (12th man to be named).—Reuters