Allan Border believes Australia should drop seven-wicket debutant Todd Murphy for the second Test and back their fast bowlers to upset India despite the Delhi wicket likely to be another spinner’s paradise.
The former Test captain would bring Travis Head, Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood back into the line-up at the expense of Murphy, who was the shining light in the Nagpur defeat, as well as Matt Renshaw and Scott Boland.
Border was gobsmacked that Head was a shock axing for the series opener and he told SEN Radio on Thursday that he needed to come back into the batting line-up while adding that struggling opener David Warner deserved another chance but he was concerned by the veteran’s form slump.
“I just thought he must have been crook which can happen in India. Or he’s injured himself or something’s happened,” Border said about Head’s omission.
“I just couldn’t believe that Travis Head could be left just on a whim that he didn’t play very well in India last time or when they were in Sri Lanka just recently or whatever,” Border said.
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“That’s maybe a case, but you’re allowed to improve, and I think Travis Head is one of those players that has improved and he showed that during the summer on difficult pitches.
Travis Head. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“He deserved the opportunity to play in that first Test match, no doubt about it. I think they got that selection really wrong.
“I think we’ve overthought some of this stuff, worrying about all the little gremlins that are going to be in the pitch, they’ve been doctored, that’s what you expect. They got their plans and their team wrong in the first game.”
Border added that Warner away from home “we need to see something more from him at the top of the order”.
Murphy would be unlucky to miss out after his dazzling debut but Border believes three quicks and only one frontline spinner in Nathan Lyon is the way to go.
“You’ve got to go with Lyon, he’s built up enough brownie points over the years to be the first picked,” Border said.
“Well done to young Murphy, it’s going to be a tough decision to leave him out, I know the wicket is going to turn but I just reckon the formula for us to be successful is three quickies and one spinner.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
“Just bowl stump to stump and be relentless with that tactic, I think that is going to be better for us than trying to beat them with spin, we’ve tried that forever and ever, and it hasn’t worked.
“That formula just isn’t working, and we need to go back to what does work and that is with the quickies.”
Border was flabbergasted last Saturday night on Fox Cricket with the lack of fight displayed by the Australians as they lost by an innings inside three days and was particularly peeved by vice-captain Steve Smith giving Ravindra Jadeja a thumbs-up signal after the spinner beat his outside edge.
“Play with a harder edge. I mean, we’re giving blokes the thumbs up when they’re beating us outside the off stump,” Border said on Fox Cricket. “What the hell is going on? That is just ridiculous.
“Don’t go stupid but Australia play hard-nosed cricket. We’re even giving someone thumbs up who’s beaten you outside the off-stump, bloody hell.”
The Australians are yet to finalise their XI with Hazlewood pushing for a return from an Achilles injury, fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc is a chance to return from a finger injury while Green is close to a comeback from his own finger problem.
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