AUS vs PAK | Playing two spinners in Australia a step forward, states Ashton Agar

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Australian left-arm spinner Ashton Agar said that Australia playing two spinners is a revolution and that it is a really exciting and necessary thing keeping in mind the T20 World Cup in their home conditions next year. The two teams will clash in the second T20I in Canberra on Tuesday.

Australia would feel highly unlucky to have not got a result in their favour as they were by far the better team of the two in the first T20I. Rain helped Pakistan to get away from possibly what could have been their new skipper Babar Azam's first loss as a T20 captain. But Australian left-arm spinner Ashton Agar feels that the team is not at all demoralized with the result of the first T20I and said that they have taken many positives from the first game that will help them going into the second one with greater confidence.

"Pakistan are the number one team in the World and they deserve that. But we did well to restrict them in the bowling innings and the Finchy (Finch) and Warner, I think Finchy took 26 off on over. So surely we take a lot of confidence into the next game," Agar told cricket.com.au.

Former Australian batsman Dean Jones a few days ago had spoken in an interview that there needs to be a clarity of role in a T20 team in order for the team to become successful. Agar pointed out the same factor by saying that each player in the bowling department knew their roles which helped them restrict Pakistan to a low total. He also spoke about his partnership with Adam Zampa and felt that playing two spinners is a step forward which was not generally a trend in Australian cricket, showing that they are ready to adapt to the ongoing change in world cricket.

"I think everyone is playing their roles beautifully. Zampa and I love playing together. We get a long way off the field. We also know exactly how to play our roles out there. He is more of an attacking leg-spinner and i can play more of a defensive role bowling in the powerplay or in the middle overs. So we complement each other well," Agar said.

"I think traditionally in Australia you see fast bowlers, but I feel playing two spinners in Australian conditions is a really exciting thing. It is a step forward for Australian cricket but it is also a trend that is happening around the world and is important for the T20 World Cup," he further added.

T20 surely is considered as a batsman's game, but more often than not, it is the bowlers who win games of cricket. Agar spoke about his approach as a bowler in T20Is and the kind of variations that he has got to offer to the batsmen.

"In T20 you have to read the batters really well. Its all about reading the game. There is probably four or five variations. it is more about changing the pace and having a control on your stock ball is important to have a control on the batter," Agar said.

Ever since the sandpaper gate episode that shook Australian cricket, the Kangaroos have been mentored by coaches like Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer and Michael Hussey. These greats have brought positivity back to the Australian dressing room as they themselves have been part of champion teams that won almost everything that was there to win. Agar pointed out the experience that they bring to the squad and said that it is invaluable to have such great cricketers around to learn from.

"Having guys who played in extremely successful teams are able to pass their knowledge to us. They always have something new to tell us so its always great to have them around," Agar concluded.

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