Doolan's maiden voyage to India

A little less than six months since breaking into the Australia side for his debut Test match in South Africa, Alex Doolan is set to experience another first next week.

While it’s not as monumental as being handed Baggy Green No.437 by former allrounder Andrew Symonds in Centurion, it is as an important step in the development of the incumbent Test No.3, especially if he earns selection in the touring party to take on Pakistan in the UAE in October.

On Monday, Doolan will make his maiden voyage to the subcontinent with members of Cricket Australia’s National Performance Squad to play two four-day matches in Bangalore, India.

“The idea is to get a little bit of experience in Indian conditions,” Doolan told cricket.com.au on Wednesday.

“I haven’t been to India before and it’s very different to anything we face here in Australia.

“I’ll get a bit of experience and learn how to play on those sorts of wickets.”

The spin-friendly pitches Doolan is likely to find in India are in stark contrast to the green seamers that he has spent so much time on at Bellerive Oval, but he doesn’t believe that his development as a player has been hampered as a result.

“I don’t think it’s affected me at all, to be perfectly honest,” he said.

“Really, the only big turning wickets you get are in the subcontinent, so it’s only one or two series here and there that there’s a real challenge (on turning pitches).

“I speak to other people that have been there and done that about the game plans that they came up with and what worked for them and try to adapt it to your game.

“Other than actually getting over there and physically learning how to play on them yourself, it’s to take as much knowledge as you can from other people.”

Doolan’s trip is one of a number of methods CA is utilising to combat the threat of spin bowling, particularly in the subcontinent, that culminated in a 4-0 Test series defeat in India last year.

In June, Sri Lankan cricket legend Muthiah Muralidaran was announced as a spin consultant to the national team, a move seen as much about developing the spin stocks as it was about teaching Australia’s batsmen how to tackle the world’s best spinners.

Cricket Australia also released details about a plan to develop up to four 'subcontinent-like' pitches at Brisbane's National Cricket Centre that will reflect those conditions.

Doolan is one player who has already benefitted from Muralidaran’s words of wisdom, having spent the past two summer’s with Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker as Melbourne Renegades teammates in the KFC T20 Big Bash League.

“(Murali’s appointment) is going to work out beautifully for the batsmen,” Doolan said.

“I know my time with Murali has been excellent for me as a batsman on how he sees batters playing against him, as well as someone like Saeed Ajmal and ways to attack him and the ways to pick his different deliveries.”

Ajmal looms as the biggest hurdle in the way of Australia’s quest to regain the No.1 Test ranking, with Doolan planning on taking a typically uncomplicated approach to planning for the world’s top-ranked spinner, should he get the opportunity.

“I probably won’t watch a lot of footage (of Ajmal), because I’ve seen a lot of him on television,” the 27-year-old admitted.

“I’ll speak to other people and find out what they look for to pick his different balls.

“I’ll speak to someone like Murali who has got a similar range of balls and how he bowls them and what I should be looking for to pick Ajmal.”

Also joining Doolan and the NPS on the trip to India will be promising young wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Whiteman.

After an impressive Bupa Sheffield Shield season for the Alcohol.Think Again Western Warriors, finishing the season with the most dismissals and sixth on the runscorers list, Whiteman’s ability was again on full display for Australia A in the two four-day matches against India A in Brisbane earlier this month.

Whiteman produced his maiden first-class century in a record-breaking partnership with good mate Mitch Marsh, while also displaying some sound glovework that included an outstanding catch down the legside to earn the praise of keeping great Ian Healy.

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With Brad Haddin’s workload potentially to be managed during a hectic summer schedule ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup and UK Ashes next year, Whiteman's development is being accelerated.

The 22-year-old’s international debut could come as early as November when Australia's KFC T20 INTL series against South Africa follows immediately after the Test series in the UAE.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann will be away for the T20 series with Trevor Bayliss to take the reins due to the travel constraints.

Leading into the international season, Whiteman will have the benefit of plenty of cricket under his belt with the Champions League Twenty20 and the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup keeping him busy ahead of the first T20 international on November 5.

Seventeen-year-old rising NSW Blues star Jake Doran is also in the squad, as well as Western Australia talent Will Bosisto, who is currently playing club cricket in Colombo and will meet the squad in Bangalore.

The schedule will see the team play two four-day matches against Karnataka State Cricket Association teams.

Full NPS squad: Sean Abbott, Tom Andrews, Cameron Bancroft, William Bosisto, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, Alex Gregory, Alexander Keath, Simon Mackin, James Muirhead, Sam Rainbird, Matt Short, Jordan Silk, Mark Steketee, Sam Whiteman