Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has announced that key players Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc are available for selection for the second Test against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy but the starting lineup will not be rushed. Despite the prospect of squad changes, McDonald insisted on sticking to the original plan and committed to his goals.
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“What changes will there be? Potentially, we have Green and Starc back in the selection table, so that will completely change the balance of how we want to go about things. However, we feel when we are here When we came in we had a clear vision of how to play, and how we wanted to go about it and we needed to invest in it again,” McDonald said.
“If you feel that your preparation was good and the way you want to do it is good then you commit to it again. If you shift and try to change too much then you are a touring team. We have seen teams come to Australia and try to do the same. We need to be committed to what we want to achieve. We think it can work and the players in the changeroom look forward We are up to the challenges. We had a bit of a setback in the first Test match, we fell behind in the game. We clearly know where we need to improve. If we improve in those areas the margin will be huge. Will subside quickly,” concluded the head coach as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
In the first Test, India pulled off a dominant victory, with strong performances from Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. However, McDonald believes his team can still improve and close the margin on their opponents.
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The coaching staff is currently considering changes for the second Test, with Queensland left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnmann flying to Delhi to join the team and Mitchell Swepson leaving for the birth of his child. Mitchell Starc, who recently arrived in Delhi, is also expected to be available for the match. Meanwhile, Cameron Green is working towards playing in the second Test but his recovery from a broken finger could be difficult.
Despite the setback in the First Test, McDonald is wary of making major adjustments and is determined to stick to his original plan.