Cameron Green bowls during a training session at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground.Credit:Getty Images
Though he is bowling at top pace and catching with relative comfort,how Green’s injured middle finger copes against fast bowling later this week will be a major factor in whether he returns to the XI.
If he does play in Delhi,there will be question marks over his capacity to field in his usual position of gully,where he has impressed with his catching and sharp saves,while coaches will also be wary of dramatic increases in his bowling workloads.
It is hard to see Australia blooding Matthew Kuhnemann as a third front-line spinner without Green being there to provide skipper Pat Cummins a second seam option.
Green’s teammates at the top of the order,David Warner,Usman Khawaja,Marnus Labuschagne and the axed Travis Head,were put through a trying spin examination during centre-wicket practice.
None appeared comfortable facing Ashton Agar,coach Daniel Vettori’s throwdowns and a pair of net bowlers picked for their likeness to Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja,though the pitch was considered by players to be more treacherous than the Test strip. One delivery from Agar spat up from a good length over Khawaja’s head.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed on Monday that the third Test,initially slated to be held in Dharamshala,would be played in Indore. The hosts have a formidable record at Indore’s Holkar Stadium,where they have lost just once in 11 matches across all formats in the venue’s 17-year international history.
The ground has hosted two Tests,both resulting in massive wins for India. Though fast bowling was important in India’s last Test victory there against pace-wary Bangladesh in 2019,spin was the centrepiece of their victory over New Zealand in 2016.