AUS vs PAK 2022 | Mitchell Swepson to make debut in the second Test against Pakistan
Mitchell Swepson will make debut in the second Test against Pakistan
|Australia drew first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on extremely flat surface and lack of spinners reduced their chances of dismissing the opposition batsmen. Australia has now announced that they will give Test debut to Mitchell Swepson as another slow and bouncy wicket looms for second Test.
Australia are playing a three-match Test series against Pakistan currently and the first Test of the series ended in a draw. The extremely flat pitch was heavily criticized due to its nature and also ICC rated it to be âbelow averageâ. As another slow wicket looms over the second match, Australia have handed leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson a Test debut.Â
Swepson first toured with the national team in 2017 but has been backup spinner for Nathan Lyon and didnât get a chance in the playing XI. He will be the first frontline leg-spinner to debut for the Australian team since Bryce McGainâs one-off Test in 2009 against South Africa. Australia captain Pat Cummins revealed that the team is excited to see Swepson making his debut.
âHeâs (Swepson) pumped, to be honest, weâre all pumped. Heâs been a huge part of the squad, even though he hasnât been playing, so weâre really excited to see him get a chance,â Pat Cummins said ahead of the second Test.
Only the leg-spinner will replace Josh Hazlewood but except for that there is no change in the Australian team who featured in the first Test. The first Test saw only 14 wickets felling in 14 sessions. Cummins is of the opinion that spin bowling is more dangerous than fast bowling in Karachi.Â
âWe think particularly a wrist-spinner of Swepoâs quality gives us a best opportunity to take 20 wickets. History shows the spin is probably more damaging here than the pacemen,â he stated.
Swepson has taken 154 wickets in 51 first-class games at an average of 33.45, but three of his four five-wicket hauls came in three successive Sheffield Shield domestic first-class games in late 2020.
Nathan Lyon was able to take only a single wicket on a dead track in Rawalpindi after bowling 78 overs in two innings. He conceded 236 runs in the match and dismissed Abdullah Shafique.Â
