Australia A: Burns’ confidence shot with another failure

Australia’s selectors may have no choice but to widen the net for reinforcements for the first Test.

Joe Burns falls to the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah at the SCG on Friday. Picture: Getty Images.

Selectors may have no choice but to widen the net for reinforcements for the first Test after embattled opener Joe Burns slumped to his eighth consecutive low score of the summer.

Burns nicked off for a duck to just his second ball from Indian speed demon Jasprit Bumrah in the Australia A tour match at the SCG on Friday, with Test legend Allan Border fearing the Queenslander is devoid of confidence less than a week out from the Adelaide Oval series opener.

Opening partner Marcus Harris made 26 before he became one of Mohammed Shami’s three victims, but the Victorian must be close to coming in from outside the Australian squad to play in the first Test.

Harris made a recent double century and a 71 for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and has showed some toughness at the crease in his two tour matches against the Indians without making a big score.

Australian coach Justin Langer refused to rule out an SOS for veteran Shaun Marsh on Friday, while Usman Khawaja may also come into calculations based on Burns’ form, David Warner’s injury and the concussion clouds hanging over boom youngsters Will Pucovski and Cameron Green.

Border said Burns’ footwork had disappeared as the 31-year-old cut a despondent figure as he walked from the field for his second duck in a row against the very attack Australia will face in Adelaide.

There is one last hope for Burns — with the mass of wickets falling on day one suggesting he will bat again in the three-day match.

“You couldn’t write a worse script for Joe Burns,” said Border on Fox Cricket.

“That was a pretty straight delivery which didn’t seem to do much. Footwork is just not there for Joe.

“He’s just not confident at all. His footwork is going nowhere. He’s just hanging the bat and he’s a very disappointed man walking off.

“He’ll feel that was his last chance. Maybe not. Things might work out.”

In normal circumstances, Burns would appear next to no chance to play in the first Test but these aren’t normal circumstances.

Burns still cannot be completely ruled out because of the carnage going on around him.

If Pucovski and Green do not play in Adelaide, Australia will need two openers, and at this stage Burns is the only other specialist opener in the squad.

Harris would almost certainly be called in as a starting point, but Australia may feel it needs other reinforcements as well.

India were bowled out for 194 batting first, while Australia A were 6-83 nearing stumps on day one.

Bumrah starred for India with a crucial 55 not out off 57 balls, and took two wickets with the ball.

The Daily Telegraph