Australian coach Justin Langer says Will Pucovski’s Test debut hardly a done deal
Dropped after he scored 180, Joe Burns is facing the prospect of losing his Test opening spot again. But one piece of history could help him keep Will Pucovski at bay.
Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Justin Langer has given the strongest indication yet that Joe Burns may hold off Will Pucovski’s compelling bid for a first Test debut in Adelaide.
The Australian coach reiterated the words of national selector Trevor Hohns by declaring it should be harder to drop out of the Test team than it is to get in.
Langer indicated his personal inclination might be to back in players who had lifted Australia back to No. 1 in the world, although he stressed things could change over the coming weeks and nothing was set in stone, with two other selectors also on the panel.
Watch every ODI, T20 & Test Match of India’s tour of Australia LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >
Either way, selectors have committed to making an early call on Burns v Pucovski in their race to partner David Warner — with a decision to be made more than a week out from the series opener.
It’s a massive conundrum for selectors. Past greats like Michael Clarke, Mark Waugh and Kim Hughes have strongly advocated for Pucovski to be thrust straight in on the strength of his record-breaking start to the domestic summer.
Many would consider it a shock if Burns holds off Pucovski, but selectors consider the Queenslander to be an unsung hero behind last summer’s climb back to the top of the world rankings — and they may feel some regret for pruning him from last year’s Ashes when he’d made 180 in his previous Test.
“There used to be a saying that it’s harder to get out of the side than it is to get into the Australian cricket team,” Langer said.
“It’s actually really important because when guys have done a really good job for us — like in this case what Joe and Davey did for us last summer — there’s a reason we’re ranked the No. 1 team in Test cricket.
“Those sorts of partnerships are really important, so we should never underestimate that.
“We loved the combination of Joe Burns and David Warner.
“They’ve got a real synergy or chemistry. They work well together. So at this point I’ll say that that’ll remain the same.
“Will Pucovski is doing everything humanly possible to play the first Test match, but that’s what we have to weigh up.
“We went through a period when there were lots of ins and outs and in my view, we should back the guys in there. That can change, but it’s a pretty strong philosophy to stick to.”
Plenty of stock is being put in Burns’ proven combination with David Warner at the top, despite the fact he has struggled of late at a time when generational talent Pucovski has barged the door down with consecutive double-hundreds for Victoria.
But whether selectors ultimately decide to honour the past, or back in the future, both candidates will be put out of their misery early.
While the Australia A tour match against India A from December 6-8 at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney will not be a “bat off” between Burns and Pucovski, it will be the point when selectors make their call on who goes on to partner in the first Test in Adelaide more than a week later.
If Pucovski and fellow rookie sensation Cameron Green miss the cut for the first Test, they will likely stay behind the rest of the squad in Sydney to play a second pink ball tour game against India on December 11 at the SCG to further sharpen their experience for later in the series.
“It’s always nice when going into a Test match to know as far out as possible for the players who will play,” Langer said.
“Things can change, but I would say you will have a better idea who will open in the first Test match after that first Australia A game.
“We’ll certainly take all of our bowlers including Mitchell Swepson (to Adelaide). There might be a couple of batters who stay and play the second one, purely because it’s the best practice they can get.
“I’d say we’ll take 15 to Adelaide and might leave a couple. If they are just outside of the team the best practice for them, particularly if it’s a couple of the young guys like Will and Cameron Green, to play India twice, that would be great for their experience.”
TEST SQUAD: David Warner, Will Pucovski, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson, Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson, Sean Abbott
AUSTRALIA A: Sean Abbott (NSW), Ashton Agar (WA), Joe Burns (QLD), Jackson Bird (TAS), Alex Carey (SA), Harry Conway (NSW), Cameron Green (WA), Marcus Harris (VIC), Travis Head (SA), Moises Henriques (NSW), Nic Maddinson (VIC), Mitchell Marsh (WA – subject to fitness), Michael Neser (QLD), Tim Paine (TAS), James Pattinson (VIC), Will Pucovski (VIC), Mark Steketee (QLD), Will Sutherland (VIC), Mitchell Swepson (QLD)
MORE CRICKET
Allan Border: Why it’s really time for the Gabba to go
He’s known for his resilience on the pitch but Allan Border has had to fight several battles off it too, all uncovered in his sit down with Crash Craddock. WELCOME TO HIGH STEAKS
How the ‘spin sisters’ can help Australia win the T20 World Cup
All eyes will be on the pace duo of Tayla Vlaeminck and Darcie Brown, who have been named in the same World Cup squad for the first time, but it’s Australia’s spinners who are set to be the envy of the competition.