Mitchell Swepson to fly back to Australia for the birth of his child; Matthew Kuhnemann eyed as replacement - Reports

Australia are seriously considering bringing left-arm finger spinner Matthew Kuhnemann into the squad. According to Australian media reports, leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson will reportedly leave India soon to attend the birth of his child, leaving the visitors a spinner short for the rest of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

While the Aussies have a left-arm spinner in Ashton Agar present in the squad, the all-rounder's poor form has left them in doubt.

They were expecting the player to provide an impact similar to what Ravindra Jadeja offers to the Indian team. The Indian all-rounder was adjudged Player of the Match for his complete display in the first Test.

Queensland finger spinner Matt Kuhnemann could find himself rushed to India as an emergency after the First Test thrashing in Nagpur.

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Agar did not make it to the playing XI despite promising variety to the side, with off-spinner Todd Murphy making his debut instead.

While the 22-year-old debutant claimed seven wickets in his maiden international outing, veteran spinner Nathan Lyon finished with abysmal figures of 1-126 off 49 overs.

Australia's preparations for the Indian tour came to the conclusion that a potent left-arm spinner is necessary for success. This has validity to an extent, considering that Team India have several right-handed batters in their ranks.

Pat Cummins is struggling to find the right team combination on the back of Cameron Green's injury. The team could even be tempted to play three spinners in the next Test in Delhi, with David Warner's position being under the scanner as well. Travis Head could potentially be promoted to the top of the order while Green, if it, is touted to replace Matt Renshaw.

Mitchell Starc, who has already reached Delhi, is expected to replace Scott Boland in the playing XI after recovering from his injury. Josh Hazlewood is still unavailable for selection.

Australian spinner Kuhnemann has played four ODIs to date

Matthew Kuhnemann made his international debut during the Sri Lanka tour in June 2022. He played four ODIs during the series, claiming six wickets at an economy rate of 5.03.

A moment Matthew Kuhnemann will never forget!

His maiden ODI wicket ⭐️ #SLvAUS
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The left-arm spinner is being touted as an upgrade to Ashton Agar due to his ability to fire the ball into the pitch and extract sharp turn.

Kuhnemann has played red-ball cricket in the subcontinent with Australia A. He was last seen in action in the Big Bash League (BBL), representing the Brisbane Heat.

Will Matthew Kuhnemann be the X-Factor for Australia in the remaining three Tests? Let us know what you think.

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