James Faulkner hopes that experience in India will help his selection cause

26-year old James Faulkner is certainly one of the names in the hat as far as the Indian tour goes. While the 26-year old all-rounder hopes for a place in the touring squad, Faulkner’s prior experience in the subcontinent is something that makes him an invaluable asset for the Australian side.

Faulkner impressed quite a bit on the previous tour to India wherein he smashed an incredible century at Bangalore. However, this eventually saw him be dismissed closer to the target as the Aussies conceded the win. Speaking ahead of the tour, Faulkner went on to state that he had indeed spent a lot of time playing in the subcontinent.

“I’ve spent a lot of time playing cricket in the subcontinent, I’d like to think my name’s there or thereabouts, being spoken about,” he told reporters on Tuesday (January 10). “But you’d have to ask the selectors, captain, and coach. I’m just taking each series as it comes. There’s a lot of cricket to be played before a lot of players will start thinking about that.”

“They want an all-rounder who can bat in the top six. Hopefully, I can try and grab some opportunities,” he said.

He also went on to add a bit about George Bailey, the skipper on the previous tour to India. “I’m good mates with George, I played a lot of cricket for Australia and Tassie (Tasmania) with him. I definitely learned a lot,” he said. “I’m sure if I was in his position he’d be disappointed and upset with me. I’m the same.

“There’s a lot of experience we will lose in the change room but having said that, we’ve still got a hell of a lot sitting there,” the all-rounder added.