Clarke advises Australia to pick specialist opener for Tests against India

New Delhi: Amidst the raging debate on who should be Usman Khawaja’s opening partner ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India, former Australia Test skipper Michael Clarke has urged the George Bailey-led selection committee to go with a specialist player. With Steve Smith moving back to number four after briefly filling the vacancy left by David Warner’s retirement, contenders like Sam Konstas, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, Josh Inglis (who hit a century in the Sheffield Shield as a middle-order batter) and Nathan McSweeney are in the mix for that second opener’s slot. “We made a mistake in getting Steve Smith to open the batting in Test cricket, so let’s not make the same mistake. Let’s pick a specialist opener, whoever is best equipped. How can you justify Josh Inglis is a better person to open the batting in a Test match against this Indian attack than a specialist opener?” “He scored Shield runs, yes, but he bats in the middle order. It’s not just about who’s making runs right here, right now. That is not how you select an Australian cricket team,” said Clarke on Sky Sports Radio. He also pointed out why Australia in a conundrum to decide on their second opener with less than a month left in their five-match Test series against India to begin, and believes Bancroft should be the front-runner, despite having a lean start to the current Sheffield Shield season. “The problem they have at the moment is the top three contenders who are specialist opening batters are not making runs in Shield cricket. Who gives a shit? It’s been two Shield rounds on wickets that are seaming – who cares? It can’t just be about making runs in the two Shield games.” “I would probably go with Cameron Bancroft because he’s been the leading run scorer for the last two years in Shield cricket. I care about Shield cricket. I think he’s earned the right to be selected based on runs.” –IANS