Coming off the worst bowling figures in his Test career, Nathan Lyon is for the first time at home facing intense competition for his place in the side.
Left-armers Stephen O'Keefe, Ashton Agar and Jon Holland are presenting strong cases for consideration from national selectors.
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While Lyon should have a few more credits left in the bank on home soil, the left-arm trio are set to get a look in for the Sydney Test.
Judging by the Sheffield Shield game between NSW and Western Australia, the SCG is again becoming a spinner's haven. Of the 37 wickets in the match, 28 fell to spin.
Next year's tour of India will also provide opportunities for those behind Lyon to present a case for Test inclusion.
Snubbed by previous administrations, O'Keefe has been considered Lyon's understudy during Rod Marsh's reign. He set up NSW's win with three big wickets on the first day and finished the game with nine.
Agar claimed a career-best 10, including three late victims to send a scare through the NSW dressing room.
Holland, who replaced O'Keefe on the tour of Sri Lanka, is in the mix with eight wickets for Victoria against Queensland.
This week's game between NSW and Victoria will see O'Keefe and Holland go head-to-head.
"Today it was definitely a little bit drier – that's because of the AFL [season]. It's got a little bit of character to it, a bit of spin, which is great," O'Keefe said. "Did it surprise me? If it looks that dry, then you are going to get some spin out of it."
Victoria's Cameron White rates Holland above O'Keefe and Agar as the best left-arm finger-spinner in the country.
"If the Australian selectors want to make a change at some point, he's got to be at the front of their minds. He's doing all he can do at the moment, he keeps taking wickets and bowling well," White said.
Bavuma crosses the line
Temba Bavuma has already produced one play of the day this Test, on Monday he almost had another. With his first ball in Test cricket, the diminutive South African took the underground route into Usman Khawaja's pads with one that stayed low off a crack. Ball tracker showed the delivery destined for the stumps but unfortunately for Bavuma, who pulled off a freakish run out on David Warner on Sunday, he over-stepped. He would have been the 21st player to take a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket.
Good call from Blues
Cricket is full of quirks and the use of the nightwatchman is one of them. While it's common practice to send in a tailender late in the day to offer protection for numbers three to seven in the order, openers are hardly ever granted the same treatment. There was an exception in the NSW/WA shield game when the Blues sent in spinner Will Somerville to open with Daniel Hughes. The move paid off! In a low-scoring game, Somerville made a vital 23 while the player he protected, Ed Cowan, top-scored. It was the icing on the cake for Somerville, who also claimed nine wickets.
Tradition dictates cricket
It's vice-regal week in NSW cricket. On Friday, the NSW Governor's XI, which is basically a Defence Force XI, takes on a Cricket NSW XI made up primarily of academy players. The following day the Governor-General, who is a patron of CNSW, is hosting a GG's XI – the female equivalent of the PM's XI – at Admiralty House. The GG's team takes on a South African XI on Sunday.