"He is absolutely part of the conversation for this Test as he was in the 1st" - Pat Cummins on Travis Head's inclusion for 2nd IND vs AUS Test
Australian captain Pat Cummins commented on the prospect of Travis Head playing in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The No.4-ranked Test batter was excluded from the series opener in Nagpur, primarily due to his poor record in subcontinent conditions.
The Aussies instead opted to play Matt Renshaw in the middle order, a move that did not pay dividends as he only scored two runs across both innings.
Reports have suggested that the visitors could use Head at the top of the order, replacing the struggling David Warner.
Australia consider making a few changes as they prepare for another sharp-turning surface.
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Stating that Head is indeed in the selection frame, Cummins said in a pre-match press conference ahead of the second Test in Delhi:
“Travis (Head) has been awesome, he is been working hard on his game. He is absolutely part of the conversation for this Test as he was in the first. Ideally if batters chip in, or someone like Green you have, it is ok to go with four specialist bowlers."
Cameron Green continues to be a doubt for the second Test after missing the series opener due to a finger injury. Fielding the all-rounder as a pure batter was a decision that the team considered before it was discarded. He suffered a fracture to his finger during the home Test series against South Africa and is still recovering from the same.
"Not sure about the pitch, it is a different soil altogether" - Pat Cummins
The surface in Nagpur was in the spotlight well before the series kicked off. The Australians were caught in two minds as the pitch was not a rank turner, but it still aided spin pretty well.
They were bundled out for 177 and 91 across their two innings, while India were able to amass a match-winning score of 400 in their only outing.
Cheteshwar Pujara surveys the pitch in Delhi on the eve of his 100th Test, shadow practicing as always at both ends #IndvAus https://t.co/0NxG6ATrPR
Speaking about the pitch that is on offer in Delhi, Cummins shared his thoughts:
"Not sure about the pitch, it is a different soil altogether, but not dissimilar in nature of the pitch. We expect it to spin. We will have a discussion over how we can fit in Starc in terms of bowling combination- going with spinners, boland etc."
The skipper also spoke about Alex Carey's unorthodox approach, which includes sweep shots and reverse sweeps, Cummins said:
“Each player has their individual method, Carey sweeps a lot, but it’s not something everyone is looking to bank on. It is up to that individual."
The wicketkeeper-batter made brisk starts across both innings but fell to Ravichandran Ashwin while playing the reverse sweep on both occasions.
India and Australia will lock horns in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi from Friday, February 17, onwards.
Will Australia make any changes to their playing XI for the upcoming Test? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: Wasim Jaffer selects playing XI for 2nd IND vs AUS Test; no place for KL Rahul