Australia's selectors, led by George Bailey, have reportedly settled on Jhye Richardson as Josh Hazlewood's replacement.
While it may hardly come as a surprise, there was a push for Michael Neser - who is also in the squad and took seven wickets across two innings in a tour game against the England Lions - to play.
But Richardson, who has had a wonderful start to the Sheffield Shield season playing for Western Australia and only narrowly missed out on the first Test, with Mitchell Starc picked ahead of him, has reportedly won the race, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Richardson's eight-wicket performance against Queensland a month ago is thought to have made the selectors sit up and take notice, although he couldn't prize the spot off Starc for the opening Test of the summer.
Hazlewood was ruled out of the Adelaide Test on Sunday with a side strain, while the potential for him to also miss Boxing Day exists according to a Cricket Australia statement, who confirmed he would be "monitored" and assessed closer to the third Test of the series.
Richardson was likely to play at some point this summer anyway, with Australia likely to hand their pace bowling arsenal a rest at some stage, with Neser also in the picture having been picked in a 15-man squad for the first two Tests.
It's understood Neser is still in the hunt given conditions - and bowling under lights with the pink ball - could suit his style down to the ground, but Richardson is well and truly the front-runner for the place.
Australia's other injury concerns haven't abated either, with David Warner needing to pass a fitness Test in the nets to play after he suffered bruised ribs in Brisbane. Usman Khawaja is on standby to open the innings.
