Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023: Australia selector opens up on Matt Kuhnemann's selection over Ashton Agar

The Australian management's decision raised a lot of eyebrows in the selection of their playing XI for the second Test against India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 when the playing XI featured debutant Matthew Kuhnemann over Ashton Agar.

Australia are locking horns with India in the second Test, which commenced on February 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. India are currently leading the four-match Test series 1-0 over Australia. Kuhnemann flew over from Australia as a backup for Mitchell Swepson, who has flown back to Australia for the birth of his first child.

He is more suited on these conditions: Australian selector reveals reason behind Kuhnemann's selection

"Matt Kuhnemann has come over and impressed. He got a chance in Sri Lanka, albeit in limited-overs form, he's played well in domestic cricket this season and he's impressed us in the nets. We just feel his style at the moment is more suited to these conditions," Australian selector Tony Dodemaide told reporters ahead of the second Test as quoted by India Today.

Dodemaide stated that in India, left-arm spin is considered a major weapon on quickly deteriorating wickets, where the rough created by right-arm bowlers can be taken advantage of against left-handed batters. In addition, experienced spinner Ashton Agar has in recent times not been up to the mark in his performances, and he himself has also claimed that he is pretty much dissatisfied with the way his red-ball performance has been lately.

"His red-ball game is not quite where he wants it to be," Dodemaide said with regards to Ashton Agar.

Further, Dodemaide mentioned that there wasn't much time and Australia needed a solid left-arm spinner in these conditions, so to have Matt Kuhnemann into the side made the job of the selectors quite easy, and they didn't hesitate from allowing Kuhnemann from making his Test debut soon enough.

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