NEW DELHI, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Australia left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has been called up to the squad for their test series in India with Mitchell Swepson heading home for the birth of his first child, Cricket Australia said on Sunday ahead of next week’s second match.
Kuhneman will give Australia a second left-arm spin option alongside Ashton Agar, who did not play in the first test in Nagpur which Australia lost by an innings and 132 runs within three days.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said Kuhnemman could make his test debut in the second test in New Delhi which will begin on Friday.
“If we play three spinners then we clearly want back-up here and available in the squad if that’s the way we want to go,” McDonald said.
Swepson, who also did not feature in the Nagpur test, will fly back to Brisbane to be with his pregnant fiancee while the rest of the squad will prepare for the second test.
Australia are hoping all-rounder Cameron Green will return for the second test after missing the series opener because of a finger injury.
Mitchell Starc is likely to be available but captain Pat Cummins has ruled out overhauling the squad following the battering they received in Nagpur.
None of the Australia batsmen managed a half-century in the match and the tourists were all out for 91 in the second innings, losing all 10 wickets in one single session on Saturday.
McDonald said their batters would have to be brave against the Indian spinners.
“You feel as though my only way out of this is to take my time and defend,” McDonald told reporters.
“If you’re not proactive, as I said if you allow the bowler to take it to you, with catches around the bat, then something’s going to happen.
“I thought Steve Smith summed it up really well after he came off and said we’re going to have to be brave, take some risks, take the ball down the ground, push some fielders out and give ourselves the ability to rotate the strike.”
Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru and Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Christian Schmollinger
