Versatile Webster makes his case again and it's hard to ignore

With Australia heading into a seven-month gap before they play Test cricket again, a large part of the narrative since the Ashes were wrapped up, and particularly after the whitewash was off the table, is trying to crystal ball about what comes next and who will be involved. Beau Webster, who has had to wait until the final match of the series for his opportunity, could not have done much more in Sydney to ensure he is part of the next XI, putting on a showcase of how versatile a cricketer he is.

It was 12 months ago on this ground that Webster made his debut against India, on that occasion replacing Mitchell Marsh, and had a decisive role in a victory that clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with a half-century in the first innings and an unbeaten 39 to seal the chase.

He had been unfortunate to lose his place at the beginning of the Ashes after making four half-centuries in seven Tests across a variety of tough batting conditions, and Australia had won six of those matches. But the return of Cameron Green put a squeeze on the allrounder role and Webster was left carrying the drinks.

"No doubt coming into the summer, I thought I was as good as anyone in that squad to be an XI in Perth," Webster said. "The selectors picked the team they thought was going to win the Test and we did. Full credit to them, they've made some calls over this series that haven't been too popular. And here we are at 3-1, hopefully going to go 4-1 in the series.

"I've got full faith in the selectors. The message is you haven't really been dropped, you just can't be fitted in this XI at the moment, which is a good sign of Australian cricket at the moment. But I knew I was trying to stay ready. I certainly wasn't toys out of the cot and sooking around. It was to be ready if the chance came, and pretty much like last year, it's come in the last Test and I've managed to do all right."

This series has confounded at multiple turns and come Sydney, Webster and Green have found themselves in the same side. It has been a game of contrasts. A crisp half-century for Webster and crucial second-innings wickets (with his offspin, more on that shortly). Green, meanwhile, gave away the chance of a substantial score, has proved expensive with the ball, albeit while asked to often perform a bouncer role, and on the fourth day spilled a catch at second slip when he dived across in front of Steven Smith.

Australia will rarely, if ever, have had better credentials for No. 9 than Webster, courtesy of Michael Neser being a nightwatcher. Considering his lack of cricket over the last seven weeks, he played with impressive assuredness both last night and this morning, even taking into account an England attack on its knees, to take Australia's lead to 183.

There was a lot to unpack from the 52nd over of England's second innings. It was Webster's fourth of the day and his second in offspin mode. The first delivery ragged back at Harry Brook, spinning past the edge and taking him in front of off stump. It was given not out on the field, but Alex Carey persuaded Smith to review and it proved an inspired call. Two balls later, there was another piece of shot selection to add to England's horror show when Will Jacks slog-swept to deep midwicket.

"I certainly wasn't convinced, I was head down chasing the ball," Webster said of the Brook lbw. "[It was] a bit of an afterthought as an appeal and Kez [Carey] was the one that said, 'no, he's deep [in the crease], it spun quite a bit'. I thought it was high just with the amount of bounce out there. So full credit to Kez to take that one upstairs. Lucky it hit him in line and hit the stump somehow.

"The other one [Jacks' wicket], I think it was just as simple as trying to throw the ball as wide as I could and let them make a decision if it was going to turn or not. Jacksy tried to park me, which is probably fair, being a part-time offspinner and lucky enough to get a bit of spin and catch the inside edge."

They were not the first Test wickets Webster had claimed with his offspin, which has taken a backseat to his medium pace in recent years, but his first two were Sri Lanka lower-order batters in Galle last February. His pair of breakthroughs at the SCG were more significant, with England having got themselves into the lead to open up a range of possibilities for the final throes of this weird Ashes series, and he soon added a hobbled Ben Stokes. The height that makes Webster an asset as a seamer is also valuable as a spinner, as was shown by the bounce he produced on the ball to dismiss Stokes, although he termed it a "half-tracker".

What did Webster's sharp-spinning offbreak to Brook say of Australia's decision not to play a frontline spinner in this Test? They should win, so Smith, Andrew McDonald and George Bailey will be able to back it as the correct call, and that Webster's versatility came to the fore when it was needed, but surely there were times where Smith would have wished he had a frontline option at his disposal. Todd Murphy, watching from the dugout, would not be blamed for pondering his situation. The fact that Marnus Labuschange's bouncers have been part of the bowling plan this game has added to a level of bizarreness to it all.

None of this is Webster's problem. He was told by McDonald before the Test that his offspin may be needed later in the game (he bowled one of it in the first innings) when Mitchell Starc's footmarks had formed. He did everything, and probably more, than was asked of him. Webster doesn't practice his offspin much these days, instead trusting muscle memory to get him through. "I don't think I'd be standing here if I was still wheeling out the offspinners," he said when he first became part of the Australia set-up last year.

That may be the case, but wheeling them out could have helped win a Test match in what has been a strange time for Australian spin bowling. And regardless of how much of a part it plays for Webster in the future, it's hard to see a world where he isn't part of Australia's next Test side.