Former Australia skipper Allan Border has come up with a suggestion that Australia should stick to their strengths and go in with three pacers for the 2nd of the 4-match Test series against India in New Delhi. Australia suffered a demoralizing loss by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur in the series opener and the visitors are keen on putting up a better show and staying alive in the much-talked-about Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Allan Border made a bold call, saying Australia should drop Todd Murphy and back their senior spinner Nathan Lyon as their only spinner in the XI. Border’s comments come after Murphy scalped 7 wickets on his debut in Nagpur, carrying the Australian bowling attack that leaked 400 runs on a spin-friendly pitch. Nathan Lyon was far from impressive in Nagpur as the 35-year-old picked up just a wicket in 46 overs, conceding 129 runs.
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Australia is keen on having Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green in the XI for the 2nd Test even as the two pacers are racing against time to recover completely from finger injuries, they picked up in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. Starc joined the team in Delhi and Green had been training with the squad since the opening game but he was in some discomfort while batting on Wednesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Speaking to SEN, Allan Border said it’s ideal to beat India with pace, adding that fighting spin with spin will not work for the visitors and it hasn’t worked for over the years. He said, “You’ve got to go with Lyon, he’s built up enough brownie points over the years to be the first picked. Well done to young Murphy, it’s going to be a tough decision to leave him out, I know the wicket is going to turn but I just reckon the formula for us to be successful (is) three quickies and one spinner.
He further added, “Just bowl stump to stump and be relentless with that tactic, I think that is going to be better for us than trying to beat them with spin, we’ve tried that forever and ever, and it has not worked.”
Allan Border also backed Travis Head to return to the XI for the 2nd Test, adding he was not able to understand how the in-form left-handed batter was dropped. Australia picked Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb for the first Test and the former, a left-handed batter, failed in both innings in Nagpur. Australia is also hoping David Warner, the under-pressure opener, fires and finds form in Delhi.
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Explaining the same Allan Border said, “I thought he (Head) must have been crook or injured himself. I just couldn’t believe that Travis Head could be left just on a win that he didn’t play very well in India last time or when they were in Sri Lanka. That’s maybe a case, but you’re allowed to improve, and Travis Head is one of those players that has improved and he showed that during the summer.”
