Australia A v India A: Will Pucovski, Joe Burns fail to fire as Cameron Green hits a century

While the much-hyped Test opening bat off fizzled out, Australia can at least take solace that Cameron Green seems ready for the big time. Now just where does he fit in Adelaide?

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 07: Joe Burns and Will Pucovski of Australia A talk as they bat during day two of the three-day tour match between Australia A and India A at Drummoyne Oval on December 07, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Cameron Green is mounting an irresistible case to be rocketed into the Test team following a stunning century which saved Australia A after a mooted bat-off turned into a bloodbath.

All eyes had been fixed on the top of the order at Drummoyne Oval on Monday, with Test hopefuls Joe Burns and Will Pucovski looking to cement their opening partnership for the opening Test in Adelaide in the likely absence of the injured David Warner (groin).

Instead, it was the young superstar Green who gave selectors something to think about with a dominant unbeaten 114 forming the backbone of Australia A’s 8-286.

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Cameron Green scored an unbeaten century against India A.

Coach Justin Langer must’ve been watching his live stream through his fingers when both Pucovski and then Burns trudged back to the sheds with single figure scores to their name.

More pain was to follow, as Victorian Marcus Harris – a potential darkhorse in the openers race – flattered to deceive after a promising start.

And then it was Green, described by former captain and selector Greg Chappell as the nation’s best batting prospect since Ricky Ponting, who was again the one banging the selectors’ door down and demanding a spot in the Test team.

“I don’t envy the selectors, the role they’ve got trying to fit it into six spots. It’s up to (selectors) Trevor Hohns, George Bailey and (coach) Justin Langer to nut down that team,” said Australia A coach Matthew Mott.

“(Green) definitely put his hand up today and showed what he can do. As we’ve seen with a number of players, I think the next wave of Australian batters, it’s a very exciting era coming up.”

On a tricky wicket, and against an Indian attack boasting several Test-quality stars, Green carved out his fifth first-class century – and arguably his most impressive.

Green pounces on a short ball and smacks it to the boundary.

He moved into the 90s with an exquisite pull shot, and reached a 146-ball century with a powerful cover drive – his ninth four of the day.

“What gravitas this hundred adds to Cameron Green’s Test prospects,” said former Test spinner and Fox Sports Kerry O’Keeffe.

“Langer and Hohns attach a lot to performance in these games – they have in the past.

“I know we can be accused of overhyping, but everything he’s done here today screams ‘big future’. Or ‘big present!’”

Test captain Tim Paine (44) got a close-up look at the 21-year-old, having put on 104 for the sixth wicket and will be well placed to answer questions of selectors keen to know whether Green is ready for the next step.

Green, who was last month named in Australia’s 17-man Test squad, sent down eight quality overs on Sunday to finish with 0-9. But has he done enough to shake the selectors’ faith in the experienced Matthew Wade?

Marcus Harris looked in good touch early at Drummoyne Oval.

The question they may be asking themselves is this: will Wade be in the Test team in two years?

On the evidence provided on Monday, Green looks every bit a Test batsman - which is where the good news started and ended for the Australian selectors.

With Warner in extreme doubt for the first Test, starting December 17, Burns and Pucovski have been pencilled in as a new-look opening pairing. But failed auditions against the Indians will not ease concerns at the selection table.

Pucovski notched a scratchy 1 off 23 balls before he cut Umesh Yadav hard to point, where he was well caught – while Burns did little better, with his short stay at the crease ended on 4 when he failed to leave a short delivery from Umesh, which carried through to the keeper.

Pucovski arrived in red-hot form, with scores of 202 and 255 not out in his past two Sheffield Shield games. But the international arena is a different beast.

Their twin failures opened the door for Harris to come from the clouds and mount a compelling case, but the discarded opener was brought when a loose cut shot ended his innings on 33.

Will Pucovski never got going.

Joe Burns failed to fire yet again.

The questions tossed up on Monday only added to the uncertainty surrounding the Test team.

Josh Hazlewood sat out Sunday night’s T20 against India with a back complaint, while Mitchell Starc’s availability is unknown after he was given time off to deal with a family illness.

Fellow paceman Pat Cummins was rested from the final four white-ball fixtures to prepare him for the gruelling Test summer after a long IPL campaign.

Aussie nemesis warming up nicely

He bowled India to victory with an agonising injury that ruled him out of India’s historic series win two years ago, and Ravi Ashwin looks primed to bring more torment this summer.

Ashwin played a pivotal role in their maiden series triumph in 2018/19, ignoring the pain of an abdominal tear suffered before the second innings to take 3-92 from a mighty 52.5 overs in a match-winning effort to give India a 1-0 lead after Adelaide.

Being unable to feature again in this series, including on the spin-friendly SCG where the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was sealed, remains a sore point for the 34-year-old.

But he is sure to be front and centre this summer after a typically tireless performance in the Indians’ tour match against Australia, finishing with 2-58 from 19 overs.

Like most bowlers, Ashwin feels most comfortable when he has a lot of overs under his belt and he regularly troubled the defences of the locals – claiming the wickets of former Test players Marcus Harris and Nic Maddinson.

Ravi Ashwin promises to be Virat Kohli’s trump card yet again.

Harris was enticed into a cut shot of a ball that left him cramped, and slicing an offering to first slip, while Ashwin soon had Maddinson playing across the line with an ill-advised sweep… and quickly back to the sheds after being trapped lbw.

Paceman Umesh Yadav also impressed, and his 3-44 made him the pick of the bowlers – though he’s far from certain to retain earn selection alongside frontline seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami.

“I thought all the Indian bowlers bowled quite well, hence the scoreboard predicament we were in at one stage,” said Australia A coach Matthew Mott.

“They kept coming all day, it was flying around at the end there and we were lucky we had a player in on 100 at the end there because there were some good balls with that second (new ball) as well.”

Originally published as Australia A v India A: Will Pucovski, Joe Burns fail to fire as Cameron Green hits a century