IND vs AUS 2022-23: Ashton Agar released from Test squad; to play domestic cricket for Western Australia
IND vs AUS 2022-23: Australia will make some changes in the Test squad for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Meanwhile, Ashton Agar has been released from the team to play domestic cricket for Western Australia.
FollowAustralian orthodox-spinner Ashton Agar returned home after he was released from the Test squad touring India to play domestic cricket, national selector Tony Dodemaide confirmed on Wednesday. Agar will be playing for Western Australia in the closing stages of the domestic season. The 29-year-old left-arm spinner is the latest Aussie to return home halfway from the tour, with the visitors having squandered the opening two Tests of the four-Test series.
"[Agar] has worked incredibly hard. He's done his absolute best to support the team. We acknowledge all work he's done. He's worked his backside off. The first Test [in Nagpur] was a close call [between Murphy, Agar and Swepson] regarding what spin structure we went with," conveyed the selector on tour.
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"The question mark of whether the two off-spinners could go together. We had Matthew Kuhnemann coming in for the second Test again, and a very close call with that. We just decided that Matthew's style would be suited to the conditions there," added Agar.
Agar has gone home without featuring in any game, as off-spinner Todd Murphy was chosen ahead of him for the opening Test in Nagpur. Although Australia went in with three spinners in the second Test, Agar was likewise ignored, with fellow left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann being handed his debut.
The third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy commences in Indore on March 1, while the final contest will happen in Ahmedabad from March 9. Explosive veteran opener David Warner and pacer Josh Hazlewood have also returned home after being ruled out with injuries. Agar will play in WA's following Sheffield Shield fixture on March 2 and the one-day Marsh Cup final on March 8.
Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson, who flew back home before the second Test in Delhi for his childbirth, and skipper Pat Cummins, who has to return home on family grounds, are expected to converge with the touring gang ahead of the Indore match. Agar has appeared in just five Tests since debuting in 2013 and has evolved into a top international limited-overs bowler in recent years.
"That's for others to judge, but it seems to be going that way. Ronnie [coach Andrew McDonald] talked about the difficulty of spinning equally as an all-format player in any discipline. Very few can adjust quickly and are suited to all three formats," the selector enunciated when asked about the increasing hardship for players to switch between formats.
"To be fair to Ash, he doesn't play a lot of First-Class cricket either, and that's the nature of the modern game. He's continuing to work on that. He's worked hard with the coaches, particularly [assistant coach and former left-arm spinner] Dan Vettori. But, right now, [returning home] is a logical and constructive way forward for Ash and the team," he concluded. Agar may return to India for the tour's One-Day International (ODI) leg in March.
(With inputs from PTI)
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