Australia A 'huge' for Test hopefuls: Langer

Australia A’s tour to India in August-September is set to have a "huge" impact on the Test squad for Australia’s Test series against Pakistan in the UAE, according to head coach Justin Langer.

Australia A will play in a one-day tri-series against India A and South Africa A in Vijayawada in August before the four-day squad heads to Vizag to face India A in two matches in September.

Those matches in Vizag will effectively be a mini selection trial for the two-Test series against Pakistan in October, with Langer revealing the Test squad will likely be picked directly after ‘A’ tour concludes on September 11.

Langer has put an emphasis on the batsmen to stand up and force their way into a top six that was thrown together for Australia’s last Test in Johannesburg on the infamous tour of South Africa.

And given Australia’s dire record in Asia and spin-friendly conditions, runs in India for the A side will be worth their weight in gold. 

Since Australia’s last series win in Asia – against Sri Lanka in 2011 – they have won just two out of 15 Test matches, were annihilated 2-0 by Pakistan in the UAE Test series in 2014 and lost their first Test to Bangladesh last year. 

It’s why Langer and Australia’s selectors will be closely watching the four-day leg of the ‘A’ tour that begins on September 2. 

"It's huge," Langer said in England when asked about the importance of the ‘A’ tour to India. "We'll probably pick the Test team after the Australia A team. 

"It's a great opportunity, particularly for our young batsmen, or any batsman in Australia. 

"It's very, very rare to pick a Test squad after something like that. 

"We've got a short period (between tours) so it's going to be a huge tour. 

"It's exciting. I won't be at that tour, because from about the end of September, we're not going to go home for about 18 months. 

"So I probably won't go to India for that tour. I'll certainly be watching it closely because we have to start building the top six in the Test team."

Matthew Renshaw, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb and Mitchell Marsh formed Australia’s top six for the fourth Test at The Wanderers where the visitors ended a horror tour with a record 492-run loss to the Proteas. 

Khawaja, who was the only member of the above sextet to pass 50 in Johannesburg, will have a chance to silence his critics who question his ability to combat spin bowling as the senior batsmen in the A squad.

And with three centuries in as many matches for county side Glamorgan this month, Khawaja will enter the tour in fine form and link up with Handscomb, Renshaw and Mitchell Marsh in India.

The younger Marsh brother has been named captain of the four-day squad but will play only as a batsman as he recovers from ankle surgery.

However, his brother Shaun, Burns and Glenn Maxwell, who was called into the squad for the final Test in South Africa but didn’t play, were overlooked for the A series.

It is believed that selectors have deemed the older Marsh and Maxwell to be known commodities in spinning conditions and their A squad spots were instead given to batsmen who the selectors are keen to see play high-quality spin bowling.

Marsh will instead continue his stint with Glamorgan, giving him crucial match practice in English conditions ahead of next year’s Ashes series.

Test captain Tim Paine was also not selected, with South Australian Alex Carey named the sole gloveman and vice-captain.

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

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