India to blood rookies in Australia, says skipper Dhoni

Tuesday, 12 January 2016 01:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: India will test out several uncapped players in the limited- overs series in Australia, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Monday.

Injuries to fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma have taken sting out of the Indian attack and they will be without Suresh Raina’s all-round energy after the limited-overs specialist was dropped from the side.

India are likely to blood Barinder Sran, Gurkeerat Singh and Rishi Dhawan in the series and Dhoni acknowledged he will have to be patient with the uncapped trio.

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni

“As far as newcomers are concerned, we’d definitely feature them in the tournament because we want to see where they stand,” Dhoni said ahead of the first match of the five-game series against the world champions on Tuesday.

The 2011 World Cup-winning captain, who quit tests in late 2014, believes the supply of talented young players who can immediately adapt to international cricket is at an end.

“Right from the late 1980s, we got cricketers who were ready to play international cricket,” Dhoni said. “Once they made their debut, they were there for 10-15 years. I think that trend is changing slowly.”

India will feel Shami’s absence most, the 25-year-old returning from a lengthy injury layoff only to land in Australia and be ruled out for the series with a hamstring injury.

“Shami has been very good for us. If you see (last year’s) World Cup also, he was someone who bowled really well for us, someone who can bowl with the new ball, in the middle over and also at the death,” Dhoni said.

India play five one-dayers and three Twenty20 Internationals on their tour of Australia.

Australia to blood two new pacemen for India one-day opener

Reuters: Uncapped pacemen Joel Paris and Scott Boland will make their international debuts for Australia in the first one-day match against India in Perth on Tuesday.

The pair join Josh Hazlewood and fast bowling all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner in a pace-heavy attack at the WACA.

Having lost Mitchell Starc to foot injuries for the entire home summer and fellow left-armer Mitchell Johnson to retirement in November, Australia fast-tracked 23-year-old Western Australian Paris into the side after impressing in domestic limited overs cricket.

Johnson and Starc enjoyed success at the WACA using the ‘Fremantle Doctor’, a dependable afternoon sea-breeze, to swing the ball into right-handed batsmen and Australia captain Steve Smith said that had come into calculations in picking Paris.

“Traditionally we like to play a left-armer here who can use the breeze and move the ball so hopefully he’ll be able to do that for us tomorrow,” Smith told reporters in Perth on Monday.

Boland, 26, was a surprise selection in Australia’s test squad against West Indies and impressed with a seven-wicket innings haul for Victoria state against Western Australia at the WACA in November.

“His death bowling has been very impressive,” Smith said.

“I think he hits a yorker as well as anyone at the moment. He’s got a bit of pace to him so hopefully he can hurry up the Indian batters a bit.”