Victoria’s Peter Handscomb suffered a hip injury while playing Melbourne club cricket.Credit:Steve Bell,Getty Images
“Getting the best balance for Josh Inglis was tough,” Bailey said. “We’re playing the odds there a little bit.”
As forecast on Tuesday,Australia will take four spinners – Nathan Lyon,Ashton Agar,Todd Murphy and Mitch Swepson – for the team’s first Test tour to India since 2017.
Astute judges believe Murphy could succeed Lyon as Australia’s next spin king after impressing in seven first-class matches since debuting in 2021.
Comparatively,Agar has played minimal Sheffield Shield cricket recently and returned match figures of 0-58 against South Africa at the SCG last week when utilised as a second spinner.
“In horse racing terms,he’ll be better for the run,” Bailey said of Agar.
Opener Marcus Harris,who featured in last year’s home Ashes summer,has been left out of the touring party,while leg-spinner and white-ball specialist Adam Zampa was also unlucky to miss out.
“Zamps has displayed a real keenness to be around the Test squad,” Bailey said. “We just probably haven’t seen enough red-ball cricket from him. To be fair to Swepson,we’ve liked what he’s given us. We continue to invest in him.
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“[Harris] is someone who wasn’t taken to Sri Lanka[last year]. We probably see him more in Australian and English conditions where his game is best suited.”
Six fast bowlers have been included in the squad for the four-match series,including rookie Lance “Wild Thing” Morris.
Meanwhile,fast bowler Mitchell Starc won’t join the squad until after the first Test as he recovers from a finger injury.
Bailey was more optimistic about Cameron Green’s chances of being fit for the first Test after picking up a similar injury to Starc in Melbourne.
“With Green,we’re hopeful he’ll be right for the first Test but if not,that’s OK,” Bailey said. “We feel like we’ve got the squad that can cover that.
“Starc is not expected to be available for the first Test. He’s going to come across to India a touch later.”
Players will gather in Sydney for a three-day camp before departing for India. Final plans haven’t been locked in regarding where Australia will prepare in India before the highly anticipated first Test.
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