AUSTRALIA are confident they can spin their way to the brink of reclaiming Test cricket's No. 1 ranking.
Steve O'Keefe will partner Nathan Lyon in a rare spinning double act on home soil and SCG curator Tom Parker is confident his wicket will live up to expectations that it will be a throwback to the traditional Sydney turners of years past. 
Completing a 3-0 sweep against the West Indies would give Steve Smith's side a chance to go to the top of the rankings when they tour New Zealand next month - provided current leader South Africa continues to capitulate in against England.
The ICC hands out a cash prize of more than $500,000 for the Test side that reigns supreme at   April 1 each year.
Heading into a dead-rubber Test, Smith said the lure of returning to best-in-the-world status was driving his team.
"It's a huge motivation," he said. "We want to be No. 1 in all three formats and we're working extremely hard to get there.
"It'd be nice to win this week and wrap the series up 3-0. It's been a good summer for us so we would like to finish on a high, and then New Zealand is going to be another big challenge for us ." There is no question that O'Keefe's selection was with one eye on the tours ahead - Australia will play on turning decks in Sri Lanka in the winter and in India next year.
"The wicket looks quite hard and dry underneath so I think it'll take some spin, and that was our original thinking," Smith said.
"The grass colour is going to change a little bit and I think is going to look a bit whiter.
"This wicket recently has been spinning off the grass â€¦ and it looks like that sort of wicket. Hopefully the guys can get some purchase out of it.
"Stephen has got an opportunity now to become the second spinner."He's going to have a chance to bowl with Nathan this week and they've done well together - so if he can do that this week he can press claims for the Sri Lankan tour."