Australia v India news: Ashton Agar guaranteed selection despite SCG struggles
Ashton Agar’s wicketless Test poses a huge question for Australia heading into a tour of India – but the bowling all-rounder has been guaranteed a ticket to the spin bowling centre of the world.
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Australia is heading into the spin bowling centre of the world with no clear idea of who its second spinner is.
Despite the fact captain Pat Cummins confirmed Ashton Agar as a certainty to make the squad that will trek to India next month, the left-armer’s wicketless performance on day five in Sydney posed more questions than it answered.
Test great Ricky Ponting said on Channel 7 that he felt part-timers Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne showed more with the ball in the SCG draw than Agar.
Australia has made it clear it believes left-arm spin is the best way to complement Nathan Lyon in the sub-continent.
But it will take a lot of trust to back in Agar as the second spinner in the attack when he averages 41.84 in first class cricket and did not look like taking a wicket and barely beat the bat in his 22 overs at the SCG in an underwhelming and mildly alarming display.
Cummins defended Agar’s bowling on an SCG deck that didn’t break up as he would have hoped and said it was in no way an audition for India which will present different conditions entirely.
“I’m sure Ash will be there. Left-arm orthodox, he’ll absolutely be there,” Cummins said.
“It wasn’t an audition at all. This wicket was a lot different to India. It wasn’t really spinning out of the middle of the wicket (like it might in India).
“We thought the wicket was going to spin more than it did.
“I thought he did really well.”
Shane Warne averaged 43 per Test wicket in India to illustrate how difficult it is to succeed against batsmen like Virat Kohli who grow up on punishing spin bowling.
Another left-arm Queenslander Matthew Kuhnemann couldn’t be a million miles from consideration but it might be too late for an 11th hour inclusion in the Australian squad to be named this week.
But even though Agar will tour, the question of who will partner Lyon in the XI as Australia’s second spinner remains a serious dilemma. Because there is no clear option.
Mitchell Swepson must tour India as the leg-spin option, however, the fact Australia would have played a left-armer instead of him in Sri Lanka last year if they had one, suggests selectors are hesitant about backing in the Queenslander as the No.2.
Young Victorian Todd Murphy will also tour and is an interesting one because selectors feel he is the country’s second best spinner behind Lyon. But the problem is he’s another off-spinner, in a line-up that has Lyon and Travis Head.
Selectors showed their hand before the Sydney Test that picking a second spinner is more about complimenting skill sets, but Fox Cricket spin guru Kerry O’Keeffe called for Murphy to partner Lyon in Sydney, adamant being the second best spinner is a more important factor than having a point of difference.
Perhaps it’s important not to judge Agar too harshly on what happened at the SCG given it was his first Test in nearly six years, he hasn’t played much first-class cricket of late, and the two and a half days of rain meant the Sydney pitch did not break up enough to classify Sunday as a classic fifth day wicket.
Certainly it’s better Agar got this lacklustre performance out of his system before India.
But the jury is out.
Selectors had a good look at Kuhnemann on the Australia A tour of Sri Lanka last year and liked him enough to blood him in the ODIs when Agar hurt his side. They also sent him to India earlier this summer with the MRF academy.
Australia desperately wants a frontline left-arm spinner, but that type of bowler has been the conspicuous black hole in Australian Test history with no southpaw slow man taking more than the 79 wickets managed by Victorian Jack Saunders more than a century ago.
Left-arm Stephen O’Keefe pulled off a memorable mini-miracle when he took 12-70 in the first Test on a raging turner in Pune back in 2017.
But O’Keefe’s first-class bowling average was in the early 20s, just over half of what Agar (41.84) has paid for his red ball wickets over 64 matches.
As has always been the case during Agar’s career, he offers plenty as an overall package with his athletic fielding and handy batting – but in India he needs wickets, something he failed to do with his golden comeback opportunity in Sydney.
The fact hard-nosed Victorian batsman Peter Handscomb was called into the Australian squad this week appears a clear pointer to him being part of the Indian touring party, potentially doubling as a back-up wicketkeeper.
Australian selectors are set to pick injured stars Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc in the squad, but the fact they enter under a cloud may mean an 18 man squad – two bigger than the 16-man 2017 party taken to India.
There is significant doubt over whether Starc will be fit to play the first Test on February 9 and Lance Morris may go as his shadow for the air speed that almost got him selected at the SCG.
It’s unlikely Australia will take a like-for-like back-up for Green – but they will take Matthew Renshaw as a reserve batsman, and Agar’s versatility as a bowling all-rounder also provides options.
However, Green is expected to be fit for the first Indian Test.
One remaining selection dilemma is whether to take a specialist back-up wicketkeeper in Josh Inglis.
There is a feeling Handscomb may be gambled on for that role, which is what happened back in 2017 when the Victorian provided cover for Matthew Wade as the only recognised keeper on tour.
Being the back-up wicketkeeper can be a double-edged sword, and Inglis has barely played any first-class cricket in the past two years because he’s been on the road as Alex Carey’s shadow.
Selectors may see benefit in leaving Inglis at home to get some much-needed first-class game time for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield instead of carrying the drinks for five weeks in India.
If Carey was to suffer an injury, they could easily get Inglis on a plane in quick time to be over there as a replacement.
But in the unlikely event Carey was to break a finger in the warm-up, at least Handscomb would be on hand to take the gloves in an emergency.
Handscomb performed well in Bangladesh back in 2017 and he provides a second batting back-up as well if Australia need to make changes in the back half of the four-match series.
Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood would likely be Australia’s first Test pace attack, unless Starc can recover in time to take his place alongside the captain.
Scott Boland is likely to tour as another fast bowling option – and should not be out of contention to play given accurate, stump-to-stump bowling was what drove Australia to success the last time they won in India back in 2004.
Glenn Maxwell is unlikely to be named in an initial squad, but could be available for the back-end of the Indian tour if Australia suddenly needed an extra batting-allrounder option.
SWING MEN AUSTRALIA MUST TAKE
Robert Craddock: I don’t agree with the theory that finger spinners are better in India given Indian leggie Anil Kumble took 350 wickets there. That’s why I haven’t given up on MITCH SWEPSON. He needs a cuddle - most leggies do - and a smart game plan but I still think he can work.
Daniel Cherny:PETER HANDSCOMB’S Sheffield Shield form has been excellent. His remodelled game appears more ready for international cricket. Handscomb has shown he can bat well in the subcontinent, making gritty knocks in Ranchi and Chittagong, while his wicketkeeping provides handy insurance for Alex Carey.
Ben Horne: Michael Kasprowicz, Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath were a tremendous three-way pace combination in 2004, barely bowling a bad over between them when Australia last climbed Everest and beat India in India. That is the sort of relentless pressure SCOTT BOLAND is capable of. He can grind away on a flat, featureless deck and has a big engine. Should not be discounted if conditions in a Test allow for three quicks.
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Originally published as Australia v India news: Ashton Agar guaranteed selection despite SCG struggles
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