Australia‘s selectors are preparing for the upcoming India Test series, with concerns over the durability of their frontline pacers Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood. With allrounder Cameron Green sidelined, the team is exploring bowling depth options.
Australia’s Pace Depth Tested Ahead of India Test Series
With the highly anticipated Test series against India fast approaching, Australia’s selectors are preparing to tap into their fast bowling depth.
While Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood formed an unbroken frontline pace attack last summer, concerns over their ability to replicate that feat in the gruelling five-match series have surfaced.
The absence of allrounder Cameron Green, who is out for the season due to a back injury, further complicates matters for Australia.
Last season’s home and New Zealand conditions proved favourable for fast bowlers, with none of the seven Test matches going into a fifth day.
Australia’s bowlers also faced limited workloads, with only three innings requiring more than 78 overs. However, the upcoming series against India presents a different challenge.
The Indian batting line-up is expected to stretch the Australian quicks to their limits across the seven-week contest.
Fast Bowling Concerns
George Bailey, Australia’s chair of selectors, acknowledged that the pace trio of Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood might not be able to feature in every Test.
“If you look at the quicks last year we were certainly prepared that they might not be able to play all the Tests and they did,” George Bailey, Australia chair of selectors, said on Monday.
“Potentially that might have been an outlier, and again this summer we’ll be prepared that if we do need to make some adjustments, we are ready to go,” Bailey said.
Adding to the pressure, Australia’s pace depth has been tested by injuries to fringe bowlers.
Lance Morris, who has been on the fringes of Test selection, is recovering from a quad strain. Scott Boland and Michael Neser have overcome off-season injuries and are set to feature in Australia A’s upcoming series against India A, providing backup options.
Allrounder Dilemma
With Cameron Green sidelined, Australia will also miss a vital allrounder who could support the pace attack.
Mitchell Marsh, who could cover for Green, has only bowled four overs since tearing his hamstring during the IPL.
Bailey called having an allrounder a “luxury” rather than a necessity but indicated that Marsh’s workload would need careful management.
“Even looking at the three quicks that we generally play in Test cricket, they’ve played a lot of Test cricket together where they haven’t had an allrounder as well”, he said.
“Think it certainly depends on the personnel that are available. Guess the role that Cam and Mitch have played is that they’ve been able to hold down a spot purely on the back of their batting and think that’s still fundamentally what’s most important in that top six.
“Will continue preparing for Mitch Marsh to bowl some overs as well, that’s been part of his management for the last couple of months.”
“Pat’s obviously had an individual prep, but if you go through the Test team from the end of last year and their build up to the first Test this year, everyone’s slightly nuanced,” Bailey said.
“There’s always an eye to the individual as to what their best preparation is for any Test summer. I think the proliferation of franchise cricket means that there are plenty of opportunities and temptations for players to fill gaps.
“Pat, Mitch and Josh have been pretty amazing over how they’ve been able to select which franchise tournaments they play. And they always give themselves good breaks when it’s appropriate as well.”
Selectors are also considering Aaron Hardie and Beau Webster as like-for-like replacements for Green, with Hardie set to return from injury in the next Sheffield Shield match for Western Australia.
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