Australia has confirmed its Test squad for its upcoming tour of India.
Considering 18 players were named ahead of the four Tests, there were ample winners. But an array of stars can consider themselves unlucky after missing out on selection.
Foxsports.com.au analyses the big winners and losers after the Aussie Test squad for the February-March tour was revealed.
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WINNERS
Todd Murphy
The big winner — and the big bolter. Well a bolter in the sense he’s only been on the domestic scene for a few years, yet many experts believed he loomed as a strong chance to earn a spot in the squad.
Murphy, 22, is one of four spinners that have been included in the squad, giving Australia ample selection flexibility for the matches on dry wickets that traditionally favour the slow bowlers.
The right-arm off-spinner only has seven first-class games to his name. But he’s impressed at domestic level over the past three summers and emerged as a genuine Test contender over recent months.
Murphy took 3-27 for the PM’s XI against the West Indies before claiming seven wickets in a Sheffield Shield clash against New South Wales. Four of those seven scalps came in the Blues’ second innings as an economical Murphy bowled Victoria to victory.
The fact he’s taken one wicket in all four BBL games he’s played for the Sydney Sixers this summer — all while conceding an average of just six runs per over — has only enhanced his cause.
News Corp reported on Tuesday night Murphy was now viewed by Australian selectors as the second-best spinner in Australia. But unleashing him for the first time against India’s batters in Indian conditions would be an almighty risk — hence former Aussie paceman Michael Kasprowicz’s warning to selectors about handing Murphy a debut next month.
But at least for Murphys sake, he’s clearly on the cusp of the big time.
“Todd Murphy has progressed quickly having impressed in domestic cricket and recently with Australia A,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “With those performances Todd has emerged as a strong spin option.
“Selection in this squad also provides another opportunity to spend time alongside Nathan Lyon and assistant coach Daniel Vettori in India which will be invaluable to his development.”
Mitchell Swepson
The Queenslander surely would’ve felt some relief after being told he had a spot on the India-bound plane considering many thought he might’ve slipped out of favour among selectors.
After years of being on the fringes behind Nathan Lyon, Swepson was given a crack at Test level last year, playing two matches in Pakistan then two in Sri Lanka for a total of 10 wickets at 45.8.
But he’s struggled this Australian summer, claiming 12 wickets at 39.7 from five Shield games and four wickets at 51.3 from four Marsh Cup matches. He’s also barely fired a shot for the Heat in the BBL, taking just one wicket from eight games while conceding 9.1 runs per over.
But Swepson’s placed in the squad for the India series suggests selectors still believe that not only is he the best long-form leg-spinner in the country, he can also have an impact at international level.
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Lance Morris
Not a shock winner by any stretch, but Morris’ selection would fill him with ample confidence.
The WA fast bowler has been part of the Australian set-up all summer, but primarily been seen externally as an option to replace one of the first-choice quicks should one of them be injured. And that almost came to fruition last week, with Morris mightily close to earning a debut for the third Test against South Africa at the SCG, only for selectors to choose two spinners and a specialist batter at No. 6.
But Morris is India-bound — and it’s an outright Test selection, rather than being an injury fill-in.
‘The Wild Thing’ has been the best bowler of the Sheffield Shield to date this summer, claiming 27 wickets at 18.4. The most impressive aspect about his performances has been his consistency, taking at least three wickets in six of his nine innings and at least one scalp in all nine innings.
Indian wickets tend not to carry the same juice for pace bowlers compared to Australian and England pitches. But Morris’ greatest asset at the moment is his sheer pace — and his ability to hit the 150km/hr mark could cause a few headaches for the Indian top order should he given an opportunity next month.
Peter Handscomb and Matt Renshaw
When Renshaw was re-called to the Aussie team and Handscomb to the extended squad as concussion sub for the third Test against the Proteas last week, it was a sign both players were in the frame for the India-bound squad.
Both players were regular members of the Australian Test team in 2016 and 2017, with the duo scoring hundreds against Pakistan to announce themselves on the international stage. Patchy form for both Handscomb and Renshaw followed, leading to their axings from the team.
But the pair have been among the most impressive in the Sheffield Shield so far this summer. Handscomb is the clear leading run-scorer, amassing 571 runs — including an unbeaten 281 against Western Australia in mid-October — at 81.57. The only other batter to register a Shield double ton so far this season has been Renshaw, who’s averaging 51.7 from his five matches.
Not only are Handscomb and Renshaw in form, they’re seen as solid players of spin, which will be crucial for the Aussies on the Indian wickets.
Whether Handscomb or Renshaw of them can immediately force their way into the starting XI following Australia’s impressive performances with the bat against the West Indies and South Africa remains questionable. But if either of them do, they’ll re-enter the Test arena in decent form.
Handscomb, too, will be the back-up wicketkeeper in case anything happens to Alex Carey. Although there is some doubt over his own fitness after he hurt his hip in a seemingly innocuous knock while batting in club cricket on Tuesday night.
“Peter Handscomb deserves his place back in the squad,” Bailey said. “His domestic form has been strong recently and Pete has proven he can perform at Test level.
“His experience against spin on the subcontinent is valuable and he is also an exceptionally good close-to-the-wicket catcher.”
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LOSERS
Marcus Harris
From playing in last year’s home Ashes summer and being in the extended squad for all five home Tests this summer, to being left out of the touring party altogether.
Harris has been snubbed.
The left-handed opener travelled around with the Aussies throughout their two recent Test series before being released back to the BBL midway through the SCG Test.
Considering Usman Khawaja’s epic 2022 calendar year — and his brilliant start to 2023 — as well as David Warner’s recent return to form, Harris’ chances of opening the batting for Australia have diminished.
But perhaps Matt Renshaw’s new-found versatility has cost Harris somewhat. Renshaw has opened for Australia in the past, but selectors were prepared to play him at No. 6 for the recent Sydney Test — something they’d be less likely to do with Harris.
And the fact Handscomb can take the gloves for Australia if needed might’ve helped his case in earning selection over Harris.
Harris hit 73 against the West Indies for the PM’s XI in late November, but has barely played since after his stint with the Aussie Test squad. The 30-year-old already has 14 Tests to his name, but hasn’t scored a century and averages just 25.3.
Michael Neser
The Queenslander is proof of just how competitive it is to get a spot in the Aussie test team as a quick at the moment.
Neser couldn’t have been more impressive so far this summer, performing well at every level he’s played in every format. He’s taken 24 wickets at 14.5 in the Sheffield Shield, 11 wickets at 15.1 in the Marsh Cup and 10 wickets — including a hat-trick — at 18.1 in the BBL.
And when he was given a crack at Test level against the West Indies last month, he snared five wickets for the match in Adelaide.
Yet there’s no spot on the plane for the right-armer, with Scott Boland and Lance Morris the fringe fast bowlers picked ahead of him.
Stiff.
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Adam Zampa and Matt Kuhnemann
Four spinners were picked to tour India — but not these two.
While Zampa has become Australia’s first-choice spinner in the white-ball formats, momentum around his red-ball potential had been building over recent months after he revealed to Fox Cricket his dream was still to play Test cricket. He was then picked for his first Shield game since 2019, taking three 3-57 against Victoria as he hoped to stake a claim for a Test call-up for the tour of India.
But selectors overlooked the leggie, even though he feels his game has evolved enough in the last few years. Mitch Swepson was the leg-spinner picked ahead of him.
Kuhnemann has been around the Australian set-up in recent times, which led to him playing four ODIs against Sri Lanka in June last year. And his first-class bowling average, economy rate and strike-rate are all better than Ashton Agar’s.
Yet Agar, who played against the Proteas at the SCG last week, got the nod ahead of the Queenslander.
Cameron Bancroft
The WA opener missed out on selection, despite continuing to push his case across all three formats this summer.
Bancroft has conjured 483 runs, including a competition-high three centuries, in the Sheffield Shield, as well as averaged 51.7 in the Marsh Cup and 62.0 in the Big Bash.
He was given a decent run in the Test side as an opener during 2017 and 2018 before the ball tampering saga before earning a re-call for two tests in the 2019 Ashes, which yielded four scores of 16 or less.
But Bancroft is building momentum this summer. Don’t be surprised to see him in the mix come the Ashes later this year.
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Glenn Maxwell and Mitch Marsh
It’s almost as simple as saying if both all-rounders were fit and healthy now, they’d be on a plane to India in a couple of weeks.
Instead they’ll be watching from afar.
Maxwell revealed on Fox Cricket on Tuesday night he’d been targeting the tour of India — where he scored his maiden Test century in 2017 — as his best opportunity to return to Australia’s red-ball line-up. Instead, he still has no firm return date from the horror broken leg injury he suffered in November last year.
Marsh, who’s played 32 Tests, remains sidelined after undergoing surgery late last year on a long-standing ankle injury.
