Pat Cummins defends Ashton Agar as a spin option for India Test Series
The left-arm spinner went wicketless in the 22 overs he threw over two innings from a relatively spin-friendly wicket in Sydney
Cricket PassionEditor
Posted - 2023-01-09T13:35:32+06:00
Updated - 2023-01-09T13:44:53+06:00
Skipper Pat Cummins said he was confident Ashton Agar will tour India next month despite the left-arm spinner's wicketless performance in Sunday's third Sydney Test against South Africa.
Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins has stated that Ashton Agar is almost ready to be selected for the next tour of India in February and March.
Australia's cricket squad will visit India in February 2023 to compete in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the four World Test Championship test matches, Australia will face Rohit Sharma's team, who beat South Africa 2-1 in the Test series. According to the WTC final standings, the series is expected to be a crucial game.
A key member of Australia's white ball squad, Agar returned to the testing ground in the third and final game against South Africa at Sydney Cricket Ground to start 2023.
The left-arm spinner was wicketless in 22 overs in two innings and despite his lukewarm performance, skipper Pat Cummins is confident Agar will be touring India next month.
"I'm sure Ash will be there. As a left-arm orthodox, he will definitely be there. It wasn't an audition at all. This wicket was very different from India. It didn't really turn from the middle of the wicket like in India. We thought the wicket would turn more than it actually did. I thought he did really well," Cummins said in a post-game press conference.
One of the advantages Australia has with Agar is its ability to contribute with some valuable runs in the order. While the Australian skipper did not reveal the direction the team is seeking ahead of the India Test, he believes there are exciting times ahead for Australian cricket with some major tours on the horizon.
“I am very happy with the way everyone travels. Our next big test is India in a few weeks. We have 10 big Test matches ahead of us this year with India, the Ashes in England and hopefully the final of the Test World Cup. Exciting times ahead," he concluded.