Allan Border, former Australia skipper and World Cup winning captain, has expressed his concern for the spin-heavy Australia squad, which is scheduled to tour India next month for a four-match Test series.
Selectors have named four specialist spinners for the tour with Glenn Maxwell as an extra option as a spinner. Nathan Lyon is the only experienced spinner in the spin-heavy bowling department with Steve O’Keefe and Ashton Agar having a total experience of six Test matches. Mitchell Swepson, who has been called in as the fourth spinner, is yet to make his debut in international cricket.
“I personally would have taken a gamble on another paceman, probably Pat Cummins,” Border told SEN radio on Friday (January 20). “I think he’s ready to go. I’m not sure why they’re holding him back so much. I would have been very tempted to have that firepower bowling option,” He added.
“If you use Pat Cummins properly, he’s only probably got to bowl 16 overs in a day. You just do it in four short bursts and you just let him rip.
“If I’m a batsman, I know who I prefer to face, even on a turning track. I think he’s (Cummins) a guy who could get some reverse swing as well, which will be really key to doing well over there,” Border concluded.
Pat Cummins made a promising start to his international career (in 2011) but a series of injuries curtailed his appearances in international cricket.
‘Spin to Win’ has been the main mantra for the teams visiting India. During their tour to the country in 2004/05, the Australian team turned the tables as they rode on brilliant performances from their pacers Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie to bamboozle the hosts. Though Shane Warne also played an important part in the series win but these two pacers were the main force behind the team’s success. Border might have made the above comments in the context of that tour.
The first Test of the four-match series will start from February 23 at Pune.