Last Updated on 3 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Who will be Australia’s 2nd spinner in the 1st Test vs Sri Lanka? | Ashton Agar’s Injury Pushes Australia To Explore Spin Options To Partner Nathan Lyon
Australia is exploring spin-bowling options to partner mainstay Nathan Lyon in their forthcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Ashton Agar was initially supposed to play a pivotal role in spin-friendly tracks in the island nation. However, his side strain has possibly ruled him out of the coming two Tests.
Currently, there seems to be a toss-up amongst Mitchell Swepson, Jon Holland and Matt Kuhnemann to make it to the XI as Australia looks to field multiple spinners to stand a chance in the red-ball series. Test teams in the subcontinent have preferred playing finger-spinners ahead of leg-break bowlers due to the sharp turn and control that they can extract from the pitches in this region.
Swepson, who debuted earlier this year, had a pretty underwhelming series in Pakistan. He returned wicket-less in three innings and is expected to face the snub in favour of Kuhnemann for the contest in Sri Lanka. Lyon sympathized with Swepson after the leg-spinner’s ouster from playing XI following Australia’s loss in the second ODI vs Dasun Shanaka’s team.
“I do feel a bit for Swepo, it’s pretty hard when you get one crack and then you miss the next (game). No doubt he’s been told the reasons why and he’ll be able to go away and work on those areas – I’m not sure what those areas are. He seems to be ok and in pretty good spirits,” Lyon was quoted in a report by Cricket Australia.
He added, “I was really happy and really pleased with our partnership together in Pakistan. I know he didn’t have the ideal tour that he wanted but he’s a very team focused player and we got the right team result. I think there’s still a lot of learning for both of us, especially in this part of the world. We’re excited about the challenges coming up.”
Options available for 2nd spinner in 1st Test vs Sri Lanka
Lyon has meanwhile been mentoring the young spinners coming up the ranks in Australia. He has spent ample time with the likes of Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy during the Adelaide Sheffield Shield ‘bubble’ during the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign. The veteran off-spinner has also worked with leggie Tanveer Sangha at New South Wales (NSW).
However, Murphy and Sangha appear to be rawer alternatives to replace Agar as of now. The primary focus seems to be on Kuhnemann, who has picked 31 wickets in 11 first-class games so far. He has scalped 39 dismissals in 26 List A matches and has returned with four wickets in three ODIs. Lyon is particularly impressed with his temperament and is banking on the 25-year-old to come out well if provided an opportunity.
“I’m a big fan of Matt. He’s a pretty composed character so I think that can go a long way into the start of his international career. He’s performed very well in that A game and then through (Agar’s) injury he got his opportunity. He seemed to go ok in his debut game,” Lyon told the aforementioned website.
He added, “(There’s a) big future for both Matt and Todd. They’re young and they’re learning, which is a really good sign for Australian spin stocks.”
SL vs AUS Test series schedule and dates
- 1st Test: 29th June-3rd July, Galle International Stadium
- 2nd Test: 8th July-2nd July, Galle International Stadium
