Young Todd Murphy given the nod ahead of experienced Ashton Agar in the first two Tests against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
New Delhi: Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchirst has lashed out at the national team management for not using spinner Ashton Agar like the way they should have in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy. Debutant Todd Murphy was selected over Ashton Agar to accompany Nathan Lyon in the first two Tests against India.
“There’s been murmurings that he (Agar) might be on a flight home because he might feel like he’s surplus to requirements over there and I can understand why, without being in the camp and knowing the finer details of why he wasn’t picked,” Gilchirist was quoted as saying to SEN Radio.
Gilchrist felt that not playing Agar against India was a ‘big insult’. “But it’s a pretty big insult that I know from touring and being on a lot of tours, you felt that if you’re picked on the tour in a broader squad – unless it’s a pretty extreme like for like that has to come in – you generally expected the guys that were first reserves to step in.
“So that’s a bit of a body blow for him I would imagine. I haven’t spoken to him […] it’ll be interesting to see what he does, whether he’s brought into contention,” added Gilchrist, who was the captain when Australia last won the series in India in 2004.
However, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald dismissed rumours of Agar flying back home. The former Aussie star also suggested Matthew Renshaw may lose his spot in the team for the third Test in Indore.
Renshaw made his Test comeback after five years in the national team replacing Cameron Green against South Africa in Sydney. However, the Queenslander failed to impress in India. Renshaw scored 0 and 2 in the Nagpur Test.
He was dropped in the second Test but came into the team after David Warner was ruled out of the Test as a concussion replacement of David Warner. According to Gilchrist, in case Green is available for selection for the Indore Test, Renshaw could be dropped.
“Maybe they keep the three spinners if that’s what conditions warrant and then Green comes in and adds that nice balance. It looks like Renshaw is probably the guy that would drop out of that happens because he looks like he’s a little bit scrambled as to where he fits into the picture,” he said.
