Last Updated: February 28, 2023, 20:26 IST
Scott Boland played in the series opener before being benched. (AP Photo)
For the second Test in Delhi, Australia had just one specialist pacer in Pat Cummins who had three spinners in Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann for company
Spinners have been the flavour of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy on expected lines. For India the duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been in top form while for Australia Todd Murphy made a memorable debut in Nagpur before the experienced Nathan Lyon put in a dazzling show in Delhi.
India though have been the dominant side having completed victories in each of the two Tests neither lasting three days. To make the matter worse for Australia, they have been hit by injuries to multiple players including David Warner who has been ruled out from the remaining two Tests.
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Captain Pat Cummins will not be available for the Indore Test owing to personal reasons and in his stead Steve Smith will assume the leadership duties.
Not all is doom and gloom for the tourists though. They have received positive news in the the form of Mitchell Starc and allrounder Cameron Green with each attaining full fitness and all but certain to be part of Australia’s eleven for the third Test starting Wednesday.
Despite spinners dominating the show so far, former Australia pacer Michael Kasprowicz feels that the team needs to stick to their strength and field a three-pronged pace attack. For the Delhi Test, Australia had just one specialist pacer in Cummins.
“I don’t mind (three quicks) — and I’m going out on a limb here I suppose — not taking India on in the spin department,” Kasprowicz told SEN Radio. “We don’t need three spinners, if it’s (Todd) Murphy or (Matthew) Kunhemann (with Nathan Lyon), I reckon get (Scot) Boland in there.”
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Kasprowicz was part of Australia squad that won the series in 2004-05 – the last time they won a Test series on Indian soil.
The 51-year-old played 38 Tests, 43 ODIs and 2 T20Is between 1996 and 2006, taking a combined 185 wickets in them.
Explaining the rationale behind his suggestions, the former international added, “The reason why is, he’ll (Boland) build up pressure from one end. So, from the other end — as we saw in that first Test with Murphy — he (Murphy) was able to take wickets because they weren’t scoring (off Boland). We’ve got to look to do something else.”
With Warner out, Kasprowicz thinks Green will make it into the eleven.
“Coming up to this Test match with the line-up, Cameron Green is going to be picked. You’ll have Starc in for (Pat) Cummins for other reasons he (Cummins) can’t be there. Green will come into the middle order, he may come in for (David) Warner with the changes there,” he said.
India lead the four-Test series 2-0.
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