Nagpur: Queensland spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has stormed into contention for a baggy green in the second Test against India, as selectors contemplate a set of potentially series-defining calls.
All-rounder Cameron Green holds the key to the visitors unleashing three frontline spinners in Delhi for the first time since the 2017 tour of Bangladesh.
Cameron Green will put his injured finger to the test in the nets.Credit:Getty Images
Green, who has resumed bowling, will put his injured finger to the test in the nets this week in a bid to prove his fitness. A fit Green is vital to Australia’s plans for bouncing back after a horror innings defeat in Nagpur on the weekend.
Speedster Mitchell Starc has landed in Delhi and begins training on Monday after staying behind in Australia to complete his recovery from his finger injury.
Should both men convince selectors they are ready, it would give Australia the option to pick a vastly different attack to the combination which, with the exception of Todd Murphy, struggled in the first Test.
Australia would unlikely play three specialist spinners without Green, but they are seriously considering Kuhnemann, who attacks the stumps with his left-arm orthodox.
Matthew Kuhnemann is joining the squad as a replacement for Mitchell Swepson.Credit:Getty Images
The deliveries which India’s spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel posed the most threat to Australia were not the fierce turners but the ball which went straight on, threatening pads and stumps.
Kuhnemann is joining the squad as a replacement for Queensland leggie Mitchell Swepson, who is returning home for the birth of his and fiancée Jess’ first child. He will return for the third Test.
Kuhnemann’s call-up is indicative of the concerns selectors hold over Ashton Agar, who lost his place for the series-opener after playing in Sydney. The Queenslander has played just 12 first-class matches, claiming 32 wickets at an average of 34, but impressed as an injury fill-in during the June tour of Sri Lanka.
“He’s a live chance to play in the next Test match,” coach and selector Andrew McDonald said. “If we play three spinners then we clearly want back-up here and available in the squad if that’s the way we want to go. That’s why we’ve got four spinners in the squad.”
McDonald is hopeful Green, who injured his finger in the Boxing Day Test, can return to strengthen Australia’s batting and offer a pace option to skipper Pat Cummins.
“He does allow us different options to the way that we want to structure up, and also we’ve got Mitchell Starc who flew in last night,” McDonald said. “He will have a rest day today, and then he’ll train tomorrow on his own up there.
“We’re hopeful that both of those are back on the selection table and that would change the balance of our side.”
The Australians are bracing for more “extreme spin challenges” at Arun Jaitley Stadium, where India have not lost since being defeated by a Viv Richards-led West Indies side in 1987.
They have already vowed to take a more proactive approach with the bat to avoid becoming sitting ducks for India’s champions spinners.
The test for Australia’s batters is whether they maintain faith in their plans, having seen them fail so spectacularly.
“We feel as though when we come here we had a clear vision of how to play, how we want to go about it, and we need to reinvest into that,” McDonald said.
“We feel as though it can work and the players within the change room are very capable for the challenges ahead. We had a slight setback in the first Test match, we got behind in the game. We clearly know where we need to improve. If we improve those areas the margins will narrow very quickly.
“Are we able to shift the pressure back into the Indian dressing room? That’s the key. It was on us most of the time because of that first innings. We need to shift the pressure into their room. I think most teams are very similar in the way when they’re under pressure and stress how they perform can taper off pretty quickly.”
