Shane Watson admits he has “no idea” what the make-up of Australia’s bowling attack will be for the first Commonwealth Bank Test against India.
Selection dilemmas, which normally dominate the lead-up to any Test, have seemed trivial this week as Australia’s players have returned to training for the first time since the passing of Phillip Hughes
But with just two days to go before the first Test of the summer, Australia’s four-man selection panel of Rod Marsh, Trevor Hohns, Mark Waugh and Darren Lehmann gathered in Adelaide today to discuss the make-up of the final XI.
The rescheduled India vs Australia four-game Cricket series has been squeezed into just four weeks, and with a three-day break between the first two matches and just four days between the second and third Tests, managing player workloads will be in the forefront of the selectors’ minds.
Skipper Michael Clarke has seemed uninhibited this weekend by the effects of his latest hamstring injury, moving well at training as he looks to prove his fitness for what would be his 40th Test as captain.
Reserve batsman Shaun Marsh will be left out of the side if Clarke is passed fit, and one of the four fast-bowlers in the squad – Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle or Josh Hazlewood – is set to join the Western Australian on the sidelines.
With a traditionally flat Adelaide Oval surface expected, and with the pace-bowling of allrounders Watson and Mitchell Marsh as back-up, it’s extremely unlikely that spinner Nathan Lyon will be left out in favour of a four-man pace attack. Read more…
The first Test match between Australia and India will take place at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday 9 December, having been moved from Brisbane due to the tragic death of Phillip Hughes
The match will begin at 11am AEDT, 10:30am local time in Adelaide, and will be broadcast on Channel Nine and ABC Radio, as well as Fairfax. You will also be able to follow the live scores of the match on The Roar.
It will feature an Australian side still recovering from the loss of teammate Phillip Hughes just under two weeks ago, and an Indian side who were humiliated by the hosts 4-0 the last time they travelled here.
More Cricket: » LEMON: Hughes in the foreground as Test cricket begins » Baggy Greens need to play hard but fair for 408 » Captain Clarke the man for the current climate » Michael Clarke to play in first Test » MS Dhoni to miss first Test, Virat Kohli Indian captain
Teams The first thing to look at is who will be lining up for the two countries when they take the field on Tuesday.
Australian team for first Test: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (C), Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood (12th), Phillip Hughes (13th)*
The changes from the last Test match Australia played are the return of veterans Ryan Harris and Shane Watson in place of Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell.
Both have recovered from injury and have played Sheffield Shield fixtures to prove their fitness to selectors. Read more…
