Roll the Swepson dice if pitch spins: Hughes

Former Test fast-bowler Merv Hughes believes playing uncapped leg-spinner Mitch Swepson in a three-pronged spin attack could be a "gamble worth taking" if the pitch for the third Test against India looks like it will offer sharp turn from day one.

With the series level at 1-1 and Australia losing spearhead Mitchell Starc and allrounder Mitch Marsh to injury following their second Test defeat, the make-up of the tourists' XI for the Ranchi Test is up in the air.

Tearaway quick Pat Cummins and batting allrounder Marcus Stoinis have been flown into replace Starc and Marsh, and the pair could both slot into the side as like-for-like replacements.

That would give Australia's bowling attack their preferred balance on subcontinental surfaces with two quicks (Cummins and Josh Hazlewood), two spinners (Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe) and a seam-bowling allrounder (Stoinis). 

But Hughes says a significant shift to that combination, with Swepson coming in for Starc to leave Josh Hazlewood and Stoinis as the only seam-bowling options, could be on the cards if the Ranchi pitch resembles the spinners' paradise similar to the one Australia scored an unlikely victory on in the first Test in Pune.

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"You've got Swepson sitting on the sidelines," Hughes, who is in India hosting a fans' tour group, told Melbourne radio station SEN. "It'd be a hell of a gamble (to pick him) but it might be a gamble worth taking.

"If I'm hearing (correctly) about what the wicket is like (in Ranchi), it'll be like that first Test wicket in Pune.

"You could almost go with three spinners.

"But that goes against everything in the Australian psyche.

"It's in our Australian psyche (to select) two fast-bowlers, two spinners and a batting allrounder. 

"They could (bring in) the leg-spinner and have Hazlewood and Stoinis (as the two seamers), if it's a wicket like that first-Test wicket where they were talking about playing three spinners."

Should Swepson play, it would be the first time Australia has fielded a debutant leg-spinner since current skipper Steve Smith, now the world's top-ranked Test batsmen, debuted as a frontline leggie against Pakistan in 2010.

National selectors sprung something of a surprise when Swepson was picked in the 16-man squad for the Qantas Tour of India.

The 23-year-old got the nod over Adam Zampa for his ability to spin the ball further than his fellow leggie, and the Queenslander has an impressive first-class record of 41 wickets at 32.82 from 14 matches.

With spinning allrounders Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Agar both in contention for recalls, Swepson nonetheless remains only an outside chance to play in Ranchi.

And while a Test debut against Test cricket's top-ranked side on their home turf would present the kind of challenge Swepson has yet to encounter in his fledgling career, former Australia captain Steve Waugh said last month Swepson could provide a significant point of difference for the tourists.

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"There's an opportunity there … India haven't seen him and I think that surprise element could be very handy," Waugh said during a fan chat on his official Facebook page ahead of the first Test.

"I think the selectors and (captain Steve) Smith have to work out whether his temperament is up to it.  

"His biggest issue would be handling that pressure in a big situation with the crowd making a lot of noise. Can he remain calm and composed?

"I think selectors believe he does because they picked him a bit from left field.

"(Swepson) does bring that element of surprise against the Indian batsman, they wouldn't have seen too much of him they probably wouldn't have planned too much against him."

Hughes also praised the selection of Cummins, suggesting on skill alone that both he and James Pattinson are ideal replacements for Starc given their ability to match the left-armer's velocity. 

Both fast-bowlers starred in the most recent round of Sheffield Shield matches, with Pattinson picking up a second-innings five-wicket haul against the Warriors, while Cummins snared eight scalps for the match against the Redbacks in his NSW return to get the nod ahead of his Victorian counterpart.

But Hughes cautioned against bringing Cummins back into the Australia XI if the third Test pitch looks sufficiently batsmen-friendly to go the full five days.

"If the wicket is like the Bengaluru Test wicket, the fast bowlers did a lot of work there and you don't want Cummins doing a lot of work in those conditions," Hughes said.

"Having not acclimatised to one, bowling a lot of overs, and two, the heat, humidity and the conditions in India.

"Both Pattinson and Cummins have got pace. They showed what class players they are (in the recent round of Shield matches) and I don't think anyone doubts how good players they are.

"But what we do doubt is their capability to get through one, maybe two Test matches."

Test Squads

India (for third and fourth Tests): Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Stephen O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade

Australia's schedule in India

Feb 23-27, First Test, Pune - Australia won by 333 runs.

Mar 4-8, Second Test, Bengaluru - India won by 75 runs.

Mar 16-20, Third Test, Ranchi

Mar 25-29, Fourth Test, Dharamsala