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It’s time for Trevor Hohns and his national selection panel to correct two wrong decisions with the first Test against India at Pune just 17 days away.
Mitchell Marsh has a shoulder injury, and keeper Matthew Wade a back problem. Replace them now with Marcus Stoinis and Peter Nevill.
The four-Test series will be hard enough with fit players, let alone those who are under a cloud.
Stoinis and Nevill are in form and they can strengthen the side.
Stoinis would fill the problem number six batting slot, with his medium pace bowling well up to international standard.
Nevill has always been by far the best gloveman in Australian cricket, but he was dropped for the third Test side against South Africa because he can’t bat well enough, according to Hohns.
So far this season he’s scored an unbeaten 179 for NSW against Tasmania at Bellerive, and last week 118 in a 202-run fifth wicket partnership with Ed Cowan against the Vics at the MCG.
Pity Nevill can’t bat.
With Stoinis to supply pace support to Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, that frees up a bowling berth for a second spinner.
Offie Nathan Lyon is the senior spinner, so it would depend on the state of the wicket as to whether left arm orthodox Steve O’Keefe gets the nod, or leggie Mitchell Swepson makes his baggy green debut.
So barring any further injuries, Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Shaun Marsh, and Glenn Maxwell will be sharing the drinks waiter job for the series.
This is how the side should line up:
David Warner (vc)
Matt Renshaw
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith (c)
Peter Handscomb
Marcus Stoinis
Peter Nevill
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Steve O’Keefe/Mitchell Swepson
Josh Hazlewood
But it will be a different story among the bowlers for the five-Test Ashes series next summer.
Fast bowler Pat Cummins will be raring to go to make a dynamic three-way pace attack with Starc and Hazlewood, and will be well served with Stoinis in support.
The Englishmen are well-versed in facing offies – they are a dime a dozen in county cricket.
But England rarely face leggies, so Swepson, depending on how well he fares in India, and Adam Zampa will be high on the selector’s list of contenders.
The batting order should, therefore, look like this.
David Warner (vc)
Matt Renshaw
Usman Khawaja
Steve Smith (c)
Peter Handscomb
Marcus Stoinis
Peter Nevill
Pat Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Swepson/Adam Zampa
Josh Hazlewood