Quantcast

Net ready: Young guns set to be used this summer

One of the challenges of the bubble will be drafting in net bowlers but coach Langer says the Aussies will get creative

The country's best young bowlers might get the experience of a lifetime bowling to Steve Smith and David Warner this summer as the Australians look get creative in solving the many challenges they are set to face.

One of the aspects that is set to be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions will be the use of supplementary net bowlers at practice, which are often local club bowlers supplied by the host governing board.

India have prepared for the possibility of no local net bowlers being available by adding four specialist bowlers to their touring squads for practice purposes and the pair of tour matches.

Australia have picked an 18-man squad for the ODI and T20 series and are expected to pick a similar number for the four-Test Border Gavaskar series, which starts on December 17 in Adelaide.

But unlike India, Australia will not draft in additional bowlers from the domestic ranks. The international summer is set to run concurrently with the KFC BBL, and head coach Justin Langer says players will not be poached from the eight T20 clubs simply to train with the national team.

Instead, the brightest young talent in the country could be called upon to bowl to the likes of Smith, Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, just like a handful of aspiring English bowlers did during Australia's white-ball tour of the UK last month.

"We've got to get creative here, no doubt about that," Langer said on Friday.

"We'll be trying to have our squads as reduced as possible albeit respecting the COVID protocols. 

"There might be an opportunity to bring some of the best Under-19 bowlers in for us.

Blockbuster summer awaits with India set for Aussie tour

"We did that in Hampshire (Australia's pre-tour base) with really good effect. We had six young Hampshire bowlers and it was great for their development, it was great for our guys.

"We know it's important but it won't be from the bigger squads which will affect the Big Bash, because we want our blokes playing as much cricket as possible." 

Another challenge facing the Australians is managing the health and wellbeing of the players who will travel from bubble to bubble.

Players like Smith, Warner, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have been in a bio-secure bubble since the Aussies left for the UK in August, going from England to the UAE for the IPL before they will soon return home to quarantine and enter the limited-overs bubble.

The restrictions will prevent the IPL players selected in the white-ball squad from joining their national teammates until the morning of the opening match at the SCG on November 27.

But while Langer is confident those players, who can practice during quarantine with Australia's assistant coaches from the IPL, will be ready to perform physically, he is cognisant of ensuring his charges are mentally in the right space having been away from their loved ones for three months.

"The biggest challenge is getting to see their families because they've been away through England and now the IPL and making sure we're keeping them mentally healthy and happy and seeing their families is being a big part of that," Langer said.

"We're all hopeful the families will join us at the start of that one-day series when they come out of quarantine.

Green, Henriques headline Aussie squad inclusions

"One thing I know, almost all of them, they've been playing so much cricket.

"There's nothing like match practice and being battle hardened. They'll certainly be that.

"I've got no concerns about their cricket and being ready for playing. They'll be prepared well."

India Tour of Australia 2020-21

Australia ODI & T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey , Pat Cummins (vc), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur.

India T20I squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy

Australia Test squad: TBA

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (w), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

Dettol ODI Series v India

First ODI: November 27, SCG, 2.40pm AEDT

Second ODI: November 29, SCG, 2.40pm AEDT

Third ODI: December 2, Manuka Oval, 2.40pm AEDT

Dettol T20 INTL Series v India

First T20: December 4, Manuka Oval, 7.10pm AEDT

Second T20: December 6, SCG, 7.10pm AEDT

Third T20: December 8, SCG, 7.10pm AEDT

Tour matches

Australia A v India A, December 6-8, Drummoyne Oval

Australia A v Indians, December 11-13, SCG (day-night)

Vodafone Test Series v India

First Test: December 17-21, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT

*The matches and travel remain subject to any relevant government restrictions or requirements.