What happened in the Indian nets to convince selectors to overlook Ashton Agar?
That’s just one of the many significant questions facing Australian cricket in the wake of being unable to win back the Border-Gavaskar trophy after a second consecutive loss to India.
Less than two months ago Agar bolted into the frame for India when selected for the Sydney Test. He wasn’t at his best, but the Australians suggested they were unfazed by the performance.
But he was jumped in the pecking order by Todd Murphy in Nagpur as Australia made the unusual choice to play two off-spinners in the first Test.
When selectors decided that wasn’t the best attack, Kuhnemann received a call mid-Sheffield Shield game from chairman George Bailey telling him to board the next flight to India.
Australian cricket legend Adam Gilchrist suggested the fashion in which Agar has been overlooked was a “pretty big insult”.
“Ashton Agar… there’s been murmurings that he 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,” he told SEN WA Mornings.
“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.”
Matt Renshaw is another Australian who will be disappointed with his series to date. Scores of 0, 2 and 2 are all the Queenslander has been able to manage, and if all-rounder Cameron Green is available – as the Australians have indicated – then Gilchrist believes Renshaw will be the man to lose his spot.
He was initially dropped for the second Test before being recalled as David Warner’s injury sub, and it’s unclear if the Aussies will take a punt on the opener for the third Test on March 1.
“Maybe they keep the three spinners if that’s what conditions warrant and then Green comes in and adds that nice balance,” Gilchrist stated.
“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.”
Gilchrist continued: “I backed this team to win over there, I thought they had all the tools and the mindset and the experience to get it done.
“But it’s been a bit surprising as to how it’s unravelled pretty quick.”