Ashton Agar joins exodus from India fiasco

Ashton Agar is the latest player to leave India, and selectors say they have enough to ponder without discussing David Warner’s future.

Ashton Agar bowls during a net session. Picture: Getty Images

Ashton Agar has become the latest player to leave India this week, and selectors say winning at least one of the remaining two Tests is occupying enough of their time without looking ahead to discuss David Warner’s future.

Both players have returned home in recent days, Warner with a fractured elbow and Agar with questions over his Test career.

The left-arm orthodox spinner played the Sydney Test, but was leapfrogged by Todd Murphy and then Matthew Kuhnemann – who wasn’t in the original squad – in the first two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Former captain Mark Taylor said he believed the signs were grim for Agar, who made his debut in the 2013 Ashes.

“I’m not sure what future he has left,” Taylor said. “If they’re not picking him in India, I’m not sure how they can pick him again. He’s been around for a long time now, he’s not a spring chicken.”

Australian selector Tony Dodemaide. Picture: AAP

Chief selector Tony Dodemaide laid out the player movements on Wednesday.

“Hazlewood is already home, his achilles injury hasn’t responded, he is clearly not going to be right for the remainder of this Test, we are also going to park him for the one-day series as well and make the winter tours to the UK as the absolute priority,” he said.

“Davey Warner is going out this morning with his elbow, that’s not going to be right so he is going to rehab there and be available for the one-day series (squad) to be announced tomorrow.

“Ashton Agar, he went home last night as well.

“With the structure of our squad and Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc coming back it gives us an opportunity for different options for team structure.”

Leg spinner Mitchell Swepson is flying back to India after missing the second Test because he went home to be at the birth of his child.

Captain Pat Cummins has also flown home to attend to a family illness but plans to return.

“The other question mark is Lance Morris, who will stay with us, he has not played with us for some time but he will remain with us as cover subject to Pat’s movements,” Dodemaide said. “As Pat comes back we reassess what we need for the third Test and the fourth Test. It would be great to give him some match opportunity at some stage, but for now he will remain with us just as cover.”

The selectors said the chance of drawing the series in which Australia trails 2-0 and guaranteeing the team’s place in the Test Match Championship was their focus.

“We are worried about what we can get out of the remaining two Tests,” Dodemaide said. “That’s the clear focus for us.

“We will address the Ashes planning as and when, but we are committed to picking the best fit and available players for something as big as the Ashes.

“That’s not a question we have addressed so far, we are very, very keen at the moment, as I’m sure everyone at home is, to get something out of this remaining series.

“We can still draw the series. It’s a tough ask to do that, but also for the World Test Championship we are desperate to get a result out of these last two games.”

Agar will fly back for the three ODIs after the Test series.

“Ashton worked incredibly hard when he was here, he’s done his absolute best to support the team,” Dodemaide said. “We acknowledge all the work he has done here, he has worked his back side off.

“Ashton will be named in the one-day squad tomorrow, so there is an opportunity for Ashton to get some valuable game time, WA play a match this weekend against Tasmania and have a guaranteed final at the WACA after that.”

Agar has been eclipsed by Murphy, who took seven wickets in the first Test, and Kuhnemann, who was impressive in the second.

There’s been little stomach for celebrating any positives from the Border Gavaskar disaster but the spinners have been one group coach Andrew McDonald singled out after the first two games.

“The story of the first Test match was Murphy,” he said.

“There’s a clear No.2 there. There’s been discussion over a period of time, what would happen if we didn’t have Nathan Lyon? That’s been one of the real positi­ves that that’s firmed away. We’ve got an obvious No.2 that can play in all conditions. Real positive.

“Pete Handscomb coming back into Test cricket the way he’s played as well. That’s been a positive as well after a long lay off. We backed his ability to play spin and he’s been tested in these conditions. So that’s been outstanding. So there’s some positives within it.

“It’s probably at the moment too soon after what happened yesterday to talk about the positives because that session probably wiped a lot of that sort of thinking away and we’ve got a lot of work to do coming into Test match three.”