Cracks appear in plans

Australian dilemma has Agar a chance for return

AUSTRALIA’S best-laid plans for the first cricket Test against India have been spun into disarray by a cracked and “crusty” pitch in Pune.

Ashton Agar could be set for a shock recall today, when the four-Test series starts on what the tourists feel is a spinner’s paradise.

Uncapped legspinner Mitchell Swepson and Glenn Maxwell have featured in deliberations sparked by the dry deck, with selectors temp- ted to play a third tweaker.

Trevor Hohns arrived in Pune with a clear idea of the XI. The Marsh brothers were to be recalled.

That may still be the case.

But the perplexing wicket has induced so much uncertainty even Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s most consistent performer in the recent home summer, is no certainty to be selected.

“We’ve thrown up everyone,” skipper Steve Smith said.

“It’s a big decision as to whether we play one fast bowler or two quicks and a spinbowling allrounder.”

The counter-argument is the reverse-swing of Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Mitch Marsh could well be the tourists’ best hope of upsetting India in the series opener.

“Both spin and reverseswing will play a big part in this Test,” Smith said.

“The fast bowlers will be able to get the ball to reverse quite quickly . . . (but) it will take spin from ball one.”

Further complicating matters is that Smith, who made his Test debut in 2010 as a legspinning allrounder, has not bowled much in the nets because of a side injury.

“But that’s OK. If it’s out in the middle and it’s needed we can look at that,” he said.

Smith is a student of the game who has played 50 Tests, including seven in Asia. He was part of Australia’s calamitous Test tour of India in 2013 and calls Pune home during the Indian Premier League.

But in all his years, Australia’s skipper has never been so bamboozled before a single ball is bowled in a Test.

“I haven’t really seen a wicket like that before a Test match,” he said yesterday.

“There are a couple of divots out of the wicket.

“It looked pretty dry, quite sort of crusty . . . it’s going to take a lot of spin.

“The groundsman said he wasn’t going to put any more water on it, so it’s going to be incredibly dry.”

It is understood curator Pandurang Salgaoncar, under supervision by a Board of Control for Cricket in India official, did wet the wicket yesterday.

India skipper Virat Kohli could not see what the fuss was about, calling it a “very basic Pune wicket”.

“We understand exactly how the wicket is going to play,” Kohli said. “We expect it turn a bit as well from day two or day three.”