Allan Border believes Australia should drop seven-wicket debutant Todd Murphy for the second Test and back their fast bowlers to upset India despite the Delhi wicket likely to be another spinner’s paradise.
The former Test captain would bring Travis Head, Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood back into the line-up at the expense of Murphy, who was the shining light in the Nagpur defeat, as well as Matt Renshaw and Scott Boland.
Border was gobsmacked that Head was a shock axing for the series opener and he told SEN Radio on Thursday that he needed to come back into the batting line-up while adding that struggling opener David Warner deserved another chance but he was concerned by the veteran’s form slump.
“I just thought he must have been crook which can happen in India. Or he’s injured himself or something’s happened,” Border said about Head’s omission.
“I just couldn’t believe that Travis Head could be left just on a whim that he didn’t play very well in India last time or when they were in Sri Lanka just recently or whatever,” Border said.
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“That’s maybe a case, but you’re allowed to improve, and I think Travis Head is one of those players that has improved and he showed that during the summer on difficult pitches.
Travis Head. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“He deserved the opportunity to play in that first Test match, no doubt about it. I think they got that selection really wrong.
“I think we’ve overthought some of this stuff, worrying about all the little gremlins that are going to be in the pitch, they’ve been doctored, that’s what you expect. They got their plans and their team wrong in the first game.”
Border added that Warner away from home “we need to see something more from him at the top of the order”.
Murphy would be unlucky to miss out after his dazzling debut but Border believes three quicks and only one frontline spinner in Nathan Lyon is the way to go.
“You’ve got to go with Lyon, he’s built up enough brownie points over the years to be the first picked,” Border said.
“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.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
“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 hasn’t worked.
“That formula just isn’t working, and we need to go back to what does work and that is with the quickies.”
Border was flabbergasted last Saturday night on Fox Cricket with the lack of fight displayed by the Australians as they lost by an innings inside three days and was particularly peeved by vice-captain Steve Smith giving Ravindra Jadeja a thumbs-up signal after the spinner beat his outside edge.
“Play with a harder edge. I mean, we’re giving blokes the thumbs up when they’re beating us outside the off stump,” Border said on Fox Cricket. “What the hell is going on? That is just ridiculous.
“Don’t go stupid but Australia play hard-nosed cricket. We’re even giving someone thumbs up who’s beaten you outside the off-stump, bloody hell.”
The Australians are yet to finalise their XI with Hazlewood pushing for a return from an Achilles injury, fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc is a chance to return from a finger injury while Green is close to a comeback from his own finger problem.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Looking like the Handscomb selection for the second test was a good choice at the moment. He did better than most in the first test and appears to adapt to sin more readily. Cummins has played a good innings too; showing his strong leadership.
nics
Roar Rookie
As that famous philosopher Homer would put it: "Doh!"
Paul
Roar Rookie
Well how wrong was I? Head in, good. Was not expecting 3 spinners!
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
The two best bowlers by a mile were Murphy and Boland; i.e. Murphy out bowled Lyon by the length of the Flemington Straight and Boland was by far the tighter 'quick' and bowled far, far better in 'partnership' than Cummins did. The problem is an assumption that Cummins and Lyon will be better in Delhi.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Just like Head . The more you succeed in this team guarantees you get dropped and if you continually fail you hold your spot . Go figure .
Ouch
Roar Rookie
My Dr prescribed me some nice Indica and i'm not thinking crazy like that :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Capital letters.
E-Meter
Roar Rookie
One thing that remains the same is that Australia are completely bamboozled on and off the field. The tour of India always seems to generate a harebrained approach to the whole thing. Perhaps they need to indulge in some cbd oil for relief.
E-Meter
Roar Rookie
The Joe Root dismissal was comical. Reverse sweep off Wagner. Hilarious.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
looks like you spelt choppy incorrectly...use correct spelling Donny
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Whoops! - I should know better, copying Pierro, 'The Great Mis-Communicator'. You haven't dropped Benny Dwarshuis down the rankings, have you?
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
We wont continue to have great conversations if you continue to misspell Choppy. Sheesh. Im less concerned with the Agar - Kuhnemann discussion than I am that we have Hazlehoff, Starc and Green all carrying injuries. If they dont play this test send them home. Obvious replacements are Abbott, Dwarshius and Moises. Obviously.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Sinsemilla Heads
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I'm sort of on the fence but l mildly, tepidly go for Boland ... I guess
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Cummins didn't use Boland, or anyone for that matter properly, and this cruelled Boland. Lyon was there and he only took one wicket. Lyon let the spinner take 7.
Simoc
Roar Rookie
I wanted Morris in the first test but it wouldn't have worked. No one seemed to be able to bowl a bouncer because there wasn't any lift in the wicket. That affected our quicks & Lyon who thrives on bounce. Their quicks got wickets with early gems but it is likely to be hard labour for quicks. The doctored pitch is a mindset problem. If you watched you'de know it was a far better wicket than Brisbane served up to the recent test here. The odd low ball was the main fault and Brisbane had that as well. Our attack couldn't get them out in the last test and their attack had no problems removing our batters. That is our problem moving forward. But it can change quickly. The trouble with playing Renshaw is if he repeats his first test mistakes, they will say he can't bat on the sub-continent and drop him as they seemed to want to do with Head. So I'm okay with playing the same team but replacing Renshaw with Head. Keep Green out until he doesn't feel pain from hitting the ball, so Handscomb survives.
Simoc
Roar Rookie
I'm 100% certain he won't surprise them. They are great players of spin as the tail of Jadeja and Patel demonstrated.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I doubt he did anything to "deserve" it. Travis Head has.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
There are...but he should not have been selected to start with.