Australia will pick bowlers who can take 20 wickets, 2 spinners not a given for Nagpur Test: Pat Cummins

Australia captain Pat Cummins said the visitors are keeping their options open in terms of their bowling combination for the first of the four-Test series against.

India which gets underway from February 9 in Nagpur. Australia have a couple of selection headaches to take care of as Mitchell Starc is ruled out of the first Test while Cameron Green is racing against time after having suffered a broken finger against South Africa in the Boxing Day Test last year.

Speaking to reporters in their training camp in Alur near Bengaluru, Pat Cummins said it’s not a given that the visitors will play 2 spinners and a call will only be taken after assessing the pitch at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.

Australia have opted for a 4-day training camp at the KSCA Stadium in Alur instead of a tour match. Australia are yet to see the conditions in Nagpur but the tourists are training on a scruffed-up pitch near Bengaluru and local net bowlers, including an R Ashwin impersonator, have been called up to bowl at the Australian batters.

The injury to Mitchell Starc and doubts over the availability of Cameron Green’s bowling is a concern but Australia have arrived in India with plenty of options. Apart from Nathan Lyon, Australia have picked 3 more spinners in leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson, left-arm spinner Ashton Agar and off-spinner Todd Murphy.

Cummins said it’s important not to forget what Australia pacers have been able to achieve, regardless of the conditions in the past when thinking about the team combination and their focus will be on picking a XI that will help them take 20 wickets.

In the Sydney Test, the likes of Mitchell Starc, Cummins and Scott Boland delivered on a spin-friendly pitch against South Africa while the skipper was the leading wicket-taker for Australia when they toured Pakistan for a 3-Test series last year, picking up 12 wickets across three matches.

“I wouldn’t say it is a given, it’s very conditions dependent so particularly this first Test, once we get to Nagpur we’ll see,” Cummins spoke of Australia’s chances of playing two spinners.

“I think sometimes talking about a couple of spinners you forget how good a lot of our fast bowlers have been in all conditions. Even some of the SCG wickets, there hasn’t been a lot in them for quick bowlers but the quick bowlers have found a way.

“We’ve got plenty of bowling options here – fingerspin, wristspin, left-arm, Starcy when he comes back – so we’ll obviously pick the bowlers we think can take 20 wickets, how we are going to split that up we aren’t 100% sure yet,” he added.

Australia also have a part-time off-spinner Travis Head, who has bowled for the team in the Test series against South Africa and the West Indies recently. Cummins backed the aggressive middle-order batter to be available to chip in with the ball, if needed.

Australia have the option of getting a couple of overs from part-time leg-spinners Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.

“It’s a chance. That’s something we’ll have to balance up if we want to go with two spinners,” he said.

“Do we want variation or just two offspinners? So there’s no reason why we can’t go that way. Travis Head is in the side as well and bowls really good offspin. We’ve got plenty of variety to choose from.”

Australia Squad for India Tests

Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.