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Shocks, surprises, positives, negatives in Australia’s Test squad

31st January, 2013
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31st January, 2013
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I’m sure there will be a lot of articles and comments today on The Roar about the Australian Test squad for the tour of India.

Whenever there is a 17 man touring party, there is bound to be a name or two selected that people weren’t expecting, and that sparks conversation and debate.

For me, there were four real surprises.

I’m completely shocked that Steve Smith was selected. With Nathan Lyon, Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell all in the squad as spin options, I can only presume that Smith was primarily chosen as the extra batsman.

To give an indication of how surprised I am that he’s on the plane to India, I didn’t even list odds for him when I wrote up my market for Mike Hussey’s replacement.

It seems I’ll have to resurrect the ‘Starlight’ nickname I gave him a few seasons ago. . .

I personally wouldn’t have chosen Maxwell or Doherty, as I don’t believe either are up to Test standard, nor will they create much fear in the Indian changeroom. While both have been around the Australian set-up of late – which should have given an indication they were in the frame – I still think both should consider themselves lucky.

Lastly, while I’m somewhat of a Moises Henriques fan, and his Sheffield Shield figures are actually very good this year, I was stunned he’ll also be in the touring party. It seems consistency over a number of first class seasons was not part of the selection criteria.

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All four should buy some Lotto tickets.

Looking at the squad, there can be no question that the Australian selectors’ love affair with all-rounders continues. Even though it’s been nothing but unrequited of late.

As I’ve stated before, a true all-rounder should be able to take his place in the Test XI as either a top six batsman or a top four bowler. Yet none of Watson, Maxwell, Henriques or Smith could really make either of those claims at present.

Which begs the question, are the selectors trying to put a Test team together with bits and pieces players? That’s a very dangerous selection policy, but it certainly seems that way.

However, now that the squad has been selected and my objections noted, as an Australian cricket fan, it’s time to look at the positives.

Unsurprisingly, any optimism starts with the skipper.

Michael Clarke is one of the best players of spin in the world, and I’m looking forward to watching him use his exquisite footwork to the Indian spinners. It’s too obvious a statement to say that the team will rely heavily upon his run making, but it’s also too obvious not to mention it.

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With the loss of experience of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey, even more pressure will fall on Clarke in the middle order, and that’s somewhat of an issue, considering how much of a burden he’s already been under.

However, Clarke has been relishing the captaincy, which has only taken his batting to new heights, and will be looking forward to returning to the country he made his Test debut in.

Rotation talk aside, the fast bowling unit looks strong.

Lion-hearted Peter Siddle will lead the attack, and he’ll be happy to have Dandenong teammate James Pattison alongside him, after returning from injury. Jackson Bird gets a chance to continue his impressive start to a Test career, while the Mitchell’s – Johnson and Starc – provide some left-handed x-factor.

It’s a very good fast bowling outfit. The only unfortunate aspect is that Indian wickets are not always conducive to fast bowling, which may render any impressiveness as redundant. Jackson Bird, with his line and length, may hold the key to Australia maximising the one strength it clearly has over India.

It’s hard to get too excited over the top six, as it’s still unclear exactly what it will look like. However, I’m very happy to see Usman Khawaja get another chance at this level. It’s all been said before, so there is no need to go into too much detail again, but I firmly believe he can be a very good Test batsman.

Elsewhere, Dave Warner remains one of the most exciting players in the world, and it will be interesting to keep an eye on him and any banter with Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli. Let’s not forget that both players mentioned to Warner during the India tour of Australia that he’ll struggle on Indian pitches.

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Warner is a combative little warrior, and you can be sure he has stored those comments away, and will be keen to casually raise them again at opportune times during the series. And by ‘opportune’, I mean ‘if he’s scoring runs’.

It’s a big tour for every player, but Matthew Wade and Nathan Lyon both enter the series with question marks over them. The sub-continent can be a tough place for keepers and spinners, and there can be no doubt that Wade and Lyon will be under pressure early and often.

It will be fascinating to see how they respond, especially Lyon, who will now have Doherty and Maxwell breathing down his neck.

I’m really looking forward to the series, and while the pitches themselves may not be the perfect lead-up to an Ashes series in England, the intensity, confrontation and pressure that a tour of India provides, actually will be.

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