Australia are unlikely to tinker with their top six during a Test tour of Bangladesh in June, while the bowling attack may also be unchanged for the first Test.
Australia are set to back their pace guns and incumbent top six to get the job done against Bangladesh in June, having dominated the home summer in unprecedented fashion.
Clinical 2-0 and 3-0 series wins over Pakistan and New Zealand respectively marked the first time that Australia have won every Test in a home summer inside four days.
Australia’s one-day squad, including man of the moment and soon-to-be ODI debutant Marnus Labuschagne, fly out for a tour of India on Thursday.
The two-Test series in Bangladesh will be the only time that Tim Paine’s team don their baggy greens until the 2020-21 season.
It’s likely Trevor Hohns’ panel will include an allrounder in that touring party, possibly even 20-year-old Cameron Green, and there is certain to be some additional spinners to complement Nathan Lyon.
Joe Burns, having scored 159 runs at 22.71 from seven innings since an impressive 97 in the first Test of the summer, would appear to be the batsman with the most to worry about.
But coach Justin Langer suggested selectors are unlikely to tinker with the top six or adopt a horses-for-courses mentality for the subcontinent trip.
“In the spirit of that continuity, it’d be hard to break up that (current) squad. We might add an allrounder and another spinner, because we’re going to get spinning conditions,” Langer told reporters.
Australia have generally selected two spinners in their XI on trips to Asia during recent years but don’t be surprised if the bowling attack is unchanged come the next Test.
Langer has treasured memories of a landmark 2004 triumph, when a pace battery of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz played all four Tests while helping Australia end a 35-
year wait for a series win in India.
Pat Cummins is an automatic selection in any side if fit.
Selectors may take the view that picking two of Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood will give Australia a better chance of success than calling up a second spinner.
“We’ll look at the conditions. I remember when Australia won after many, many years in India it was on the back of some very, very disciplined fast bowling,” Langer said.
“It could happen, it’d be so hard to leave out one of those three or four bowlers.
“So we’ll look at that when it comes to Bangladesh, but there’s a good combination.
“It also helps with Marnus bowling legspin, also helps with Travis Head being able to bowl a few overs as well.”
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Fact is the pitch was a turner at SCG, the next two spinners in line are okeefe and swepson on shield form this season. Okeefe considered too old by selectors and has faced off field charges. I still think he's good. Swepson big upside younger. You prepare for india when a spinning wicket is a dead rubber to give the top next candidate a run with the team building confidence. Sure you also send Australia A but lets face it Indian pitches are often set for spinners. As for the match lyons been a donkey at sydney in general (great at most other grounds) , if he could get five fors on that pitch I dread to think what swepson could have done, certainly enough. Head and Wade didn't add much with bat , if a spinning wicket preceded one could be rested, there baggy green is not in jeopardy for first test in november however we know brisbane won't be a turning wicket.
Chop
Roar Guru
So you prepare for it by sending a Australia A team over at some stage this season, not by gifting someone a baggy green because they have potential. You don't know with any certainty that two spinners would've won the game earlier, if that was definitely the case Langer would've played 2 spinners. Head and Wade are there on merit, you advocate them missing a test based on someone needing a baggy green for potentially playing in India/Bangladesh 2 years later?
Pierro
Roar Rookie
IF you want to win in sub con you prepare for it chop. We have zero prep plan for it. We did for the ashes and it paid off for the most part by retaining in a series that should have been won. There was zero to lose in third scg test. Swepson is talented and had a great shield season and pitch was a turner indicated by lyon getting best figures on a pitch he has an abysmal record on. Two spinners would have won us the match quicker. If you want the best result two spinners was the best option dropping a bat if assessed correctly. It would have been the best XI for the quickest result. Head and Wade did little there and one could have been left out . So worked both ways in an argument for me to play swepson in a dead rubber with kiwis missing 5 players.
Chop
Roar Guru
I'm not a fan of handing out Baggy Greens 'because there's an opportunity to' if you're in the best XI for the conditions then you should play. The test team isn't somewhere you throw someone in just for experience.
Paul
Roar Guru
A few years ago, the Aussies were going to Asia, maybe Sri Lanka(?) and had a camp in Darwin, where they had at least one pitch specifically prepared for spin bowling. From memory, John Holland or another equally innocuous spinner took a bag as our batsmen crashed & burned. I’m not sure what good a day or two on that type of pitch will do but I guess it’s better than nothing. A better option is to have a 2 week camp but not sure CA would stump the cost. I still think they have the attitude we’re only playing Bangladesh. If however it went ahead, it might be a blueprint for preparation for India in 2022.
anon
Roar Pro
He's an out and out champion. Incredible player, even more so when he's in an environment where he's given positive encouragement -- rather than be told to "train smarter" and threatened to put in at number 8.
Tigerbill44
Roar Guru
really surprised to learn that they are planning a test series in Bangladesh in June when the monsoon is likely to be most intense. Still, welcome folks-and don't forget to bring your umbrella-a real big one if possible.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Paul I agree if they plated out of their skins why wouldn't they be selected. Its why its wrong for langer and co to say the team is always so set so far out though , 11 months is a long time away let alone the bangladesh tour. Hopefully no more injuries. I see hazel wood back to bowling so they have a hazel v pattinson dillemma already let alone potentially resting starc at a match if the pattinson can show he shines like mcg.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Id be interested to find out to too paul and jeff. One things for sure using dukes ball on home pitches pre ashes and pre ashes touring is very smart as is county form experience with dukes. We need to adopt some sort of strategy for India tour in 2022 that can help us before we hit their shores. Sort of trying to allude to that with spin recently. Perhaps we can prep a belter of a spin wicket against england at scg in ashes pre winter tour and play two spinners pre india . Not sure on ball use for that.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Doesn't head have an amazing averaged against spin though (60 plus) ? popped up on foxtel a lot this summer and averaged way less under 30 against pace bowling . Just going on what came up when they broke his average down. Wade against spin I'm not so sure. burns not so good either. We have problems to work out before 2022 in india, sticking with the same side there is no given a bit like england, where guys like labs and carey were carting them in county and pre tours matches but warner couldn't bat his way out of a paper bag there not to mention the other openers. Its all so different on home soil where there is much less selection dilemma if any right now
Pierro
Roar Rookie
see maxwell tongiht anon in t20, can't believe they didn't take him to india for the ODI. deftifyingly stupid decision for me. I hope the guy gets in to the squad again for test cricket too at some point . especially subcontinent. He is an extrioadinary talent. Like so many in our side not sure how he goes in england on their pitches quite as much but we can safely say warner doesn't go there either . Indian tour for maxwell is a no brainer. Kohli respects him greatly in every match they play especially over there. He miss at times but over 5 tests in india he's capable of match winning performances with bat for me.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I wonder if we will see any cricket there. Would be great for our test team to get two tests in there. Will certainly give us a look on who can deal with spin effectively after such a long break from spinning wickets. Bangladesh may not be as conducive to the spin as the indian wickets though . We need to have a long term eye on how to prep for india 2022 instead of rolling up with spinners and throwing them the ball with little to no experience there . I guess SOK has experience there but not sure the selectors are keen on him at his age and with the charges on his record (I'm not sure if that was all overblown or legitimate as wasn't around when it happened locally )
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Thats a true statement , I guess the charges SOK had and his age work against him for 2022 on the big sub continent winter tour though
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Wow article I read has misquoted then, thats an impressive record by SOK and a good one by swepson both impressive enough to have started scg. I think the selectors may feel SOKs age is a factor right or wrong and am guessing they are thinking forward for 2022 winter tour which is a long one on sub continent. It is a factor . Id be concerned about swepson playing there without any test experience and that was kind of the context for playing him at sydney.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
No doubt about it SOK is in the mix , only thing is his age really swepson has 10 years of upside and hey if he didn't work out at test level so be it. Its not a bad point to raise that either of them could have played in tandem with lyon at scg - no doubt about it they are the only two test spinners in the mix after lyon
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Thats incorrect I and many were speaking about swepson on here pre mcg where he bagged 7 wickets in shield . He was thoroughly in the mix and I think langer had already bought him in to squad. I think had they knew it would spin as much they would have played swepo and rested head or wade - that move in itself would have won us the match quicker. Great chance for sweps to get a baggy green and experience in a dead rubber spinner against a team with 5 players out. Im not sure when hell get his chance for australia really if bangladesh washes out we are pretty much back to scg (or mcg) next year where it doesn't always bounce as much for lyon. I think lyons poor scg av 46 pre match and then him getting two bags, was a sign this was a decent turner for sure so I think swepson would have done some big damage. Really though its just about him getting that test team experience in an app for subcontinent. It was never about him being in the first xv for brisbane in november. We will need spinners in india/sri lanka 2022 and more confident they are the better, its no easy task winning there as history tells us and prep and experience is huge for that in the very few circumstances we can get it for our spinners who are not playing on great spinning wickets in australia as much any more
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Confidence is big though, getting a baggy green in itself inspires players. If he’s the best shield spinner this season and its a spinning wicket it would have been great. Just couldn’t see any downside though really , particularly if a batsman was told your all good for brisbane but this pitch is turning well and swepp won’t start in the first three tests in november as the pitches just don’t suit him as much as lyon and he’s of course the junior spinner right now
badmanners
Roar Rookie
That's incorrect Pierro, this season Swepson has 12 wickets at 26.58 as opposed to SOK's 14 at 18.42 both from 4 games.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
It’s interesting that Bangladesh at home played four front line spinners in a Test series recently. Can’t recall against who and it didn’t work out for them results wise. But an interesting approach from them nonetheless.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I don’t know what the situation is. Keen to find out though.