"Why was he selected if his confidence was down?" - Aakash Chopra on Ashton Agar being sent back home from IND vs AUS Test series
Aakash Chopra has questioned the Australian selectors' call to pick Ashton Agar for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy if the left-arm spinner lacked confidence.
India head into the third Test against Australia, starting in Indore on March 1, with a 2-0 lead in the four-match series. Agar, who didn't get a chance in the first two Tests, has been sent back home to play domestic cricket.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra questioned why the left-arm spinner was selected if he was down in confidence, stating:
"Ashton has been sent back. He came here as the No. 2 spinner and has been asked to go back and play in the Sheffield Shield. There was repeated talk from the Australian camp that Ashton Agar's confidence is slightly down. Why was he selected if his confidence was down?"
The former Indian opener feels Ashton Agar's selection is an indication of the Australian selectors' muddled mindset at the moment, explaining:
"It explains the Australian selectors' mindset. For decades, this has been a team where you felt that there is a clarity of thought. They have got people to make their debuts at 30. There was a lot of focus on first-class cricket and there was always a clear thought process."
Chopra pointed out that the Australian inner circle believed the spin-bowling all-rounder was just like Ravindra Jadeja as he brought similar skills to the table. However, he added that once Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann played ahead of him and proved the visitors' decision right, Agar became redundant to their plans.
"Pat Cummins' news is quite a big one" - Aakash Chopra on Australian captain missing 3rd IND vs AUS Test
Aakash Chopra reckons Pat Cummins' absence for the third Test against India will be a huge blow to the Aussies, observing:
"Pat Cummins' news is quite a big one because he is the visiting team's captain and a quality player. He went back and the expectation was that he would probably come back. His mother is not well and he is not coming back for the third Test match."
Chopra added that the Australian skipper and David Warner's unavailability have compounded the visitors' problems.
"He is going to be with his mother and we all wish him and his mother well. If he is not there, there will be problems because Australia's situation is already bad if we see it from their perspective. David Warner is ruled out and Pat Cummins is also not there."
Our thoughts and prayers are with Pat Cummins and his family 🙏 https://t.co/hLYrLqcOJg
Apart from Cummins and Warner, Australia will also miss the services of Josh Hazlewood, who has been ruled out of the entire series. However, Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green's likely availability for the last two Tests will provide some relief to the beleaguered camp.