Agar offers a lot as an overall package with his athleticism and useful low-order strikes, but if he’s picked for India, he’ll have to take a wicket.
Skipper Pat Cummins said he is confident Ashton Agar will tour India next month.
Agar was named as his second spinner behind his tweeter Nathan Lyon in the Sydney premier of his Test, considering his series of his four Test matches against Virat Kohli India.
Playing in his first Test in six years, Agar saw a battered Sydney cricket ground where he threw a total of 22 overs on the pitch, going 0–58, casting doubt on his effectiveness on the Indian pitch.
Cummins, however, backed Agar’s Bowling, saying it was never an audition for India and its lackluster pitches. “I’m sure Ash will come. As a left-arm orthodox, he’ll definitely be there,” Cummins said after the Sydney test.
“It wasn’t an audition. This wicket was very different from India. It didn’t actually spin out of the middle of the wicket (like in India). “I thought the wicket would bend more than that. I thought he did a really good job.”
However, there are concerns that Agar will not be able to catch up if, as Australia expected, he enters the India test with two specialist spinners.
Ricky Ponting, a great and celebrated expert on the Test, said during the broadcast of the Sydney Test that part-timers Travis Head and Marnus Labchagne beat the ball over agar in a draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He said he felt that he had shown a lot by using it.
Agar offers a lot as an overall package with his athleticism and useful low-order strikes, but if he’s picked for India, he’ll have to take a wicket.
The late great leg even his spinner Shane Warne showed how difficult it was to succeed on the pitch against batsmen with his average of 43.11 per wicket in the Indian Test. India have lost just one in their last 30 home series and have lost only two Tests in their last 15 series, one against Australia.
Cummins said his team is in good shape heading into the India Series after home series wins against the West Indies and South Africa this summer.
Australia have won 10 of their last 15 Tests, with Sri Lanka losing just one.
“I’m really happy with how people are traveling,” Cummins said.
“Our next big test is India in a few weeks. feel well.
“This year we have 10 big Test matches against India, Ashes in England and hopefully the final of the World Test Championship. Exciting times ahead.”