Border-Gavaskar trophy: Australia announce 18-man squad for India tour; include four spinners, six pacers

Australia has announced an 18-member squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India, which is set to commence on February 9th. Four spinners have been included in the traveling squad, with rising star Todd Murphy vying for the chance to be Nathan Lyon's spin partner alongside Mitchell Swepson and Ashton Agar. This series promises to be an exciting one, as the Australian team looks to make a statement in the subcontinent.

Peter Handscomb is in line for a Test recall for the first time since January 2019, joining Matt Renshaw in the reserve batters list. Marcus Harris, however, was unfortunately omitted from the squad. 

Meanwhile, uncapped quick Lance Morris has retained his place in the squad and could make his Test debut in India, as Mitchell Starc will only be available after the first Test match in Nagpur. This could be a defining moment for Morris, as he looks to make his mark on the international stage.

Cameron Green, who suffered an injury during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa, is also racing against the clock to be fit for the first Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Four spinners included in the Aussie squad for the four-Test tour #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/1ITzFS0xA1

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 11, 2023

Young spinner Murphy has earned his place in the squad due to his outstanding performances for Victoria, Australia A, and the Prime Ministers XI over the past year. Speaking about Murphy's inclusion on Cricket Australia's official website, Chairman of the Selection Committee, George Bailey, praised the 22-year-old's rapid development, noting his impressive domestic record and emergence as a formidable spin option.

“Todd Murphy has progressed quickly having impressed in domestic cricket and recently with Australia A. With those performances Todd has emerged as a strong spin option,” Selection Chair George Bailey said.

“Selection in this squad also provides another opportunity to spend time alongside Nathan Lyon and assistant coach Daniel Vettori in India which will be invaluable to his development.”

Looking for their first Test series win in India since 2004, Australia will play Test matches in Nagpur (February 9-13), New Delhi (February 17-21), Dharamsala (March 1-5) and Ahmedabad (March 9-13).

Australia Test squad for tour of India: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.

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