Australian cricket legend Allan Border has given his opinion on the shock dropping of Travis Head from the First Test against India.
Head was undoubtedly the most in-form batter in the Australian camp but was dropped due to his poor form in Australia’s previous tours of Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Border slammed the selectors for not picking Travis Head in the first Test and for “overthinking” the strategy.
“I thought he must have been crook or injured himself…. I just couldn’t believe that Travis Head could be left just on a win that he didn’t play very well in India last time or when they were in Sri Lanka,” Border said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“That’s maybe a case, but you’re allowed to improve, and Travis Head is one of those players that has improved and he showed that during the summer.
“He deserved the opportunity to play in that First Test match no doubt it about, I think they got that selection really wrong.
“I think we overthought some of the stuff, worrying about all little gremlins about the pitch… that’s what you expect when you go over there, they got the plans and the team wrong in the first game.”
Border added that if the Australians were to go back to one spinner, Nathan Lyon should be given preference.
“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.
“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.”
Australia will look for an improved performance when they Take on India in the Second Test in Delhi.