Tait wants to copy Lillee and Thomson

Shaun Tait is set to make his Test debut as Australia bid to fight fire with fire in the latest thrilling instalment of the Ashes series at Trent Bridge. On hearing the news Tait hoped he and Brett Lee could become a fearsome pace combination in the image of Lillee and Thomson.

The selectors have decided to give Tait, whose 65 wickets in last season's Sheffield Shield was the second-best haul in the history of Australia's first-class competition, a shot at the big time in place of Jason Gillespie, and will become Australia's 392nd Test player. "The ball is swinging around here," Ricky Ponting said, "and it will be even more difficult for anyone to combat him and play him in these conditions."

Asked if he and Lee could be the "new Lillee and Thomson" Tait replied: "Yeah, that's what I've had in the back of my mind as well. Brett's pretty young, he's really fit and he's bowling lightning at the moment. So I think over the next few years it could be exciting. If all goes well it would be great for the country to watch two young, genuine quick bowlers in action together."

Ponting said he had no fears regarding the economy rate of Tait, a 22-year-old who sprayed the ball last year during a short stint with Durham. "Taity might go for a few runs but he has that out and out wicket-taking ability," he said. "The game the other day [he took 2 for 52 in the draw against Northamptonshire] and his record suggests he will do that. If we set the right fields for him and use him and Brett in shorter bursts then we will be able to cope well."

During Australia's final warm-up match for the fourth Test, Tait hit the Northamptonshire opener Tim Roberts on the head, the batsman leaving the field with blood pouring from above his left eyebrow. "I was a little bit worried because I'd never actually seen that much blood on a cricket field before," he said. "I'd seen a bit in the past but not that much dripping out of his head, it was quite a decent gash so I was a little bit worried for him."

Tait, who said the prospect of wearing the baggy green cap was a "dream come true", insisted he was ready to be on the receiving end of plenty of short-pitched bowling. "I've got to worry about my own head," he said. "They're not shy of hitting our blokes in the head. It will be a good contest. I'm up for that."

Ponting said he has been excited by the prospect of playing Tait and would give him a licence to attack. "That is the only way he knows," he said. "I watched him in the last tour game and he bowled lots of bouncers and yorkers. He knows we want him to run in and bowl fast and try and get wickets for us. That's the way he will be used."