IND v AUS 2020: Moises Henriques added to Australia's Test squad, Sean Abbott out
All-rounder Moises Henriques has become the latest addition to Australia's squad for the first Test against India. He comes in as a replacement for fast bowler Sean Abbott, who picked up a calf strain in the 2nd tour game between India and Australia 'A'.
Moises Henriques was reportedly all set to play the 2nd tour game, but a hamstring injury concern had ruled him out. Now, he has cleared fitness tests and will join the Aussie squad in Adelaide, three days before the series opener.
Abbott is the latest name in the long list of injured players for Australia. David Warner and Will Pucovski are also ruled out of the first Test while all-rounder Cameron Green is an uncertain starter.
Moises Henriques' record
Although a regular feature in T20 franchises worldwide, the successful Sydney Sixers captain is yet to prove himself in Test cricket.
33-year-old Moises Henriques made his Test debut seven years ago, during Australia's tour of India in 2013. In the 3 games there, he had a middling performance with a high score of 81 and 2 wickets. His next chance came 3 years later, against Sri Lanka, but without much success.
Since then, Moises Henriques has been a consistent performer in first-class cricket. The right-hander has a healthy average of 36, including 12 hundreds and 22 fifties for New South Wales. This is apart from his 114 wickets at an average of 32 with his medium-pace.
Moises Henriques is known for his leadership acumen and ability to hit the ball long. He is also a shrewd bowler whose abilities were showcased in the first T20I against India. He got the wickets of KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and Hardik Pandya cheaply and went for just 22 runs in his spell.
If given the opportunity, the only possible spot could be at number 6 behind Travis Head and before Time Paine.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will kickstart on December 17 with a day/night Test in Adelaide.