Tassie discard a Test bolter
TASMANIAN veteran Alex Doolan has emerged as a shock candidate for the first Test squad to face India after standing out above the mediocrity of Australia’s selection shootout.
Doolan played the last of his four Test matches for Australia more than four years ago but has opened this Sheffield Shield season with scores of 115, 76, 53, 90 and a timely 94 yesterday against Victoria in Hobart.
Australia will name their squad later this week for the four-Test series against India and selectors have been underwhelmed so far by the weekend performances of the biggest name challengers.
Matt Renshaw was considered a favourite to return for the home summer, but he is now in limbo after failing twice against NSW’s all-Australian attack in Canberra.
The Marsh brothers Shaun and Mitchell also failed to deliver.
Many had written fellow Queenslander Marnus Labuschagne out of the equation, but his fighting first innings 50 against the likes of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will make him hard to dump.
Another candidate Peter Handscomb failed in his first opportunity in Hobart against Tasmania, but the Victorian will get one more bat.
Queensland will enter the final day of their Shield clash against NSW in Canberra today at 2-51, needing 328 more runs for victory.