Spin showdown on the cards for 'A' tour

Mitch Swepson is yet to play international cricket, but the highly rated leg-spinner will have plenty of subcontinent experience to call on during the Australia A tour that will double as a Test selection trial.

Swepson, Jon Holland and Ashton Agar were the tweakers included in an Australia A touring party for a pair of four-day games against India A in September.

National selectors will use the first-class matches in Vizag as a form guide for the ensuing Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

Much has been made of Australia's uncertain batting order for their first Test since Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft accepted suspensions resulting from the ball-tampering saga.

The race to be Nathan Lyon's spin sidekick in the XI is also wide open.

Agar and Holland have both performed the role previously, with the latter part of Australia's scandal-plagued Test tour of South Africa earlier this year.

Swepson is the only wrist spinner among the three.

Shane Warne has long been calling for selectors to present Swepson, who toured India last year with Australia's Test squad and has previously visited the country on development tours, with a Baggy Green.

"This will be my fourth trip to India. Every time I've gone there I've picked up something new," the 24-year-old said.

"The biggest thing I noticed while watching both Indian spinners, Gaz (Lyon) and SOK (Steve O'Keefe) in the Tests last year, was their consistent lengths.

"As a legspinner, consistency is a bit harder to come by, but it's something I've worked extremely hard on.

"I'm looking that far ahead. Performances will always speak for themselves, if I can do well for Australia A and end up getting a call (for the Test tour) that'll be awesome."

Swepson was part of a national training camp in Brisbane last weekend, when new coach Justin Langer detailed his expectations to players.

The Queenslander will soon link up with Australia's Twenty20 squad, with an international debut on the cards in England.

"I want to play all three formats but Test cricket is the pinnacle and every cricketer's dream," Swepson said.

Australia A tour of India

Australia A four-day squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Michael Neser, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain

Australia A one-day squad: Travis Head (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth

Tour schedule

One-Day fixtures - Vijayawada

17 August v India A

19 August v South Africa A

23 August v India A

25 August v South Africa A

29 August – Tri-Series Final

Four-Day fixtures - Vizag

2 – 5 September v India A

8 – 11 September v India A