All-rounder Cameron Green’s fitness remains the critical info that has left Australia without a locked-in XI less than 24 hours out from the second Test against India in Delhi.
A return for Green would allow the Aussies to enact “plan A”, reports the Nine papers, which includes the Western Australian replacing Matt Renshaw and providing an extra seam option.
On Wednesday Green’s issues were with his batting more than his bowling as he recovers from a finger injury.
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“Having a right-hander helps and him providing our fifth bowling option also helps, he’s a big player, it certainly helps the team function well from batting and bowling,” Australian captain Pat Cummins said.
“You have got to be able to perform as well, he’s still coming back from that injury, and he’s only had a couple of sessions where he’s catching with a hard ball.
“He had a really good session (on Wednesday), but will see how he pulls up.”
If he is able to play Green’s inclusion is also likely to mean a debut for Queensland left-armer Matt Kuhnemann, as the third spinner.
Kuhnemann appears ahead of Ashton Agar in spin calculations and would partner star Nagpur debutant Todd Murphy and veteran Nathan Lyon, with Pat Cummins the fifth front-line bowler.
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If Green can play it will allow Mitchell Starc to take another week to recover from his own finger injury, after the bowler declared he was “still a good chance” to be passed fit despite ongoing discomfort.
But if Green is unavailable Starc is shaping as the second seamer over Scott Boland.
“I think there’s a conversation (with Starc). We’ll work that out by the end of today, I hope,” Cummins said. “He’s one of the world’s premier bowlers in these type of conditions. We’ll see.
“As I said, the wicket looks like it might turn a little bit. I thought last week with two pacers that attack functioned quite well, but I think whether it’s ‘Starcy’, another spinner, Scotty (Boland), variety in the attack does help.
“Starcy and Green had good sessions yesterday and we will assess them later on today. We don’t have a line through them yet.”
Cummins confirmed Travis Head is “absolutely part of the conversations for this Test” though his batting has not been particularly impressive in the nets.
Head’s off-spin would instead be critical if he is named, since it would lessen the necessity of playing three front-line spinners.
Potential Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Todd Murphy, Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann
