Australia skipper Pat Cummins has made it clear that the visitors are not worried about their spin combination ahead of the four-match Test series against India. The much-anticipated series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to get underway on February 9 in Nagpur.
Spin will definitely play a key role in deciding the series as conditions and pitches in India offer a lot more assistance to the spinners than fast-bowlers. The visitors have named as many as four spinners in their squad for the upcoming series.
While Nathan Lyon will spearhead the spin attack, he will have the company of Ashton Agar, Mitchell Swepson and highly-rated uncapped spinner Todd Murphy.
And Pat Cummins has said that he is satisfied with the spin options available to him as he looks to power Australia to a famous win in India. The fast-bowler said that the visitors have enough options to support off-spinner Lyon. He, however, kept the cards close to his chest when asked to reveal the spin combination.
“We’ve got plenty of options here (with) finger spin, wrist spin, left arm (pace) when (Mitchell) Starcy comes back,” Pat Cummins told reporters in his first media interaction after arriving in India. “We’ll obviously pick the bowlers that we think are going to take 20 wickets. But how we split that up, we’re not 100 per cent sure yet.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a given. Obviously it’s very conditions dependent. Particularly in the first Test, once we get to Nagpur we will see that,” added Pat Cummins when asked if it would be a two-pronged spin attack.
“The good thing is someone like Agar was in our last team, Swepson played the last two overseas tour, so a bit of experience. Murphy played in the last tour. We feel that we got a lot of support in that department for Lyon. Travis Head also bowls really good offspin. We have to balance things. We have got a plenty of variety there to choose from. We have not locked in any bowling line-up so far,” said the 29-year old.
Pat Cummins eyes famous win:
Pat Cummins would be keen to guide Australia to a series win in the upcoming assignment. Australia have endured a tough time against India in Tests in recent years.
The team from Down Under has not won a Test series in India since 2004/05. They have also lost the previous three editions of the Border-Gavaskar series including two at home. Beating India won’t be an easy task but the current Australian team has been widely backed to achieve the feat.
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