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Opinion
If Ashton Agar plays his cards right in Sydney he could get five straight Tests in a row after it’s taken him a decade to get his first four.
We still don’t know which way Australia will go with their team selection for the third Test at the SCG against South Africa but it looks like Agar will get a chance to play as the second spinner.
That shows that he’s in the selectors’ thinking for the Indian tour where you have to play two spinners.
And even though he hasn’t played a lot of red-ball matches the past couple of years I reckon he can transfer his skills over from T20 and 50-over cricket to give Australia a point of difference to Nathan Lyon’s off spinners.
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There’s a bit of a feeling that he can replicate what a couple of the Indian left-arm spinners can do, like Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
Ashton Agar. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)
He’s more accurate than wrist-spinners so I can see why he’s jumped the queue ahead of Mitchell Swepson.
I think Todd Murphy will eventually play Test cricket but he’s probably got to get a bit more experience under his belt at first-class level before the national selectors give him a go.
It’s a great opportunity for Agar. He’s been handy in his brief chances at Test level but didn’t nail the spot either time when he was a rookie on the 2013 Ashes tour or at Bangladesh four years later.
Agar has improved his temperament and his control, he’s added a fair bit of variation in recent years. He often bowls for Australia in the power play in white-ball cricket and you’ve got to have a lot of skill to do that.
He’s good enough with the bat to come in at No.7 and he’s an excellent fielder so I think as far as the all-round package, he’s the best option.
We’ve seen Jack Leach for England come on in leaps and bounds over the past year or so as a left-arm spinner at Test level and he had a bit of success recently in Pakistan so I think Agar can be a similar bowler to him.
(Photo by Mark Brake – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
It won’t be easy for Agar given he’s only picked up three first-class wickets at 70 this summer, but he took 14 at 40 the year before which isn’t too bad for a spinner in Australia.
When the wicket’s spinning like it’s supposed to be in Sydney, he’s got to cash in if he’s given the chance.
In the Shield game there earlier this summer, Chris Green took nine wickets for the match in his debut so if the pitch is anything like that, Agar should do well in those conditions.
He’s bowling against a pretty average batting line-up that’s low on confidence so it’s all lining up for Agar.
It’s a massive opportunity for him to get a game here and then get four more in India next month for what will be a massive series.
His batting and fielding are a bonus but he needs to take wickets as a frontline spinner.
From what we’re hearing now it looks like Lance Morris is not going to get a run to replace Mitchell Starc and the question has to be asked – do you need five bowlers?
Matt Renshaw. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Perhaps they’ll play Agar at No.8 with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood or Scott Boland as the only other quick.
Australia’s only vulnerability would be against a strong South African bowling attack that although it hasn’t clicked in the first two Tests, is still very capable.
And if you have Alex Carey at six, Agar at seven and then the bowlers it might bring the Proteas back into the contest.
But I’d be happy to take the gamble even though it might affect Australia’s chances in this game because I still think they’d win and it’s important to sort that kind of stuff out before they go to India.
Selecting Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw as the back-up batting options to go in at No.6 was weird. I would have thought Peter Handscomb would have been a better option – he’s been piling up the runs for Victoria at Shield level this season.
I know Renshaw has spent a bit of time in the middle order for Queensland the past couple of years and has done well there
His sweeping, both the traditional way and reverse, is a strength which he has honed in the BBL.
It looks like he’s going to play this Test. They must think he’s someone they might play in the middle order in India, otherwise it’s strange to have him ahead of Handscomb as the shadow batter in the middle order.
Whichever line-up they end up with, I hope Boland still gets a run. It’d be a good chance to see how he goes in conditions that don’t suit, if it is a bit of a turner.
He’s that experienced I think he will adjust no problems.
If it’s a turning pitch it’ll bring reverse swing into the contest but the problem with that is that there’s a bit of rain forecast and the ball won’t reverse if the seam gets damp.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Fingers crossed we don’t get too much rain.
South Africa could also play two spinners with Simon Harmer a chance to get his first run on this tour.
He’s done really well in English county cricket and he’s actually got 34 wickets at 25 in eight Tests and he bats OK, he’s got first-class hundreds.
Their batters might enjoy a pitch that is not as quick and bouncy but with their batting, it doesn’t matter who they bring in, really.
They’re not going to get bombarded as much with short-pitched bowling but what strikes me as worrying is that most of their batters are already in the veteran stage, around 30 or over.
Where are the young bats coming through? I wouldn’t mind them being beaten so much if they were in a rebuilding phase and the batters were young guys who you know would be better the next time they tour here.
It’s hard to see Australia not finishing off a clean sweep with wet weather realistically the only way the Proteas are going to avoid a 3-0 defeat.
And it’s important to acknowledge that it’s the Pink Test, such a great occasion to raise money for the McGrath Foundation.
It’s been going for 15 years now, South Africa were the first visiting team to really embrace it and let’s hope they break records with the money raised for such a good cause.
And buying a virtual seat is such a great idea so if you can’t get to the game, log on to The McGrath Foundation website to help out.