Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 4 : Australian all-rounder Cameron Green has shown encouraging signs in his recovery ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy first Test against India, but it remains highly unlikely that he will be able to roll his arms.
India and Australia will lock horns in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy on February 9.
Green got clear to resume his training shortly before his departure for the tour and he has been batting and bowling with a hard ball in the nets. The build-up of his workload will concern the team management, as he had spent a month out of action. Before leaving Sydney, the Aussie head coach gave indications that he will be playing as a specialist batter.
"He has made some significant steps forward in the last couple of days, probably to my surprise, so there is still an outside chance that everything going well he might be on the team sheet," McDonald told reporters in Alur on Saturday.
"I would not say he was in discomfort with his bowling, one of the deliveries jarred the bottom of the bat and that can create discomfort for anyone but there is a little bit of awareness around that finger," added the coach.
Green has a very slim change to pick up the ball during the first match and questions about the side's balance continue to raise. During the Sydney Test against South Africa last month, Ashton Agar was recalled to partner ace spinner, Nathan Lyon. There has been an assumption that both players will be playing in Nagpur.
Skipper Pat Cummins is well aware of the potent force his pace attack can be despite Mitchell Starc being injured.
"I would not say it [two spinners] is a given, it is very conditions dependent so particularly this first Test, once we get to Nagpur we will see," Cummins said. "I think sometimes talking about a couple of spinners you forget how good a lot of our fast bowlers have been in all conditions. Even for some of the SCG wickets, there has not been a lot in them for quick bowlers but the quick bowlers have found a way," said Cummins.
"We have got plenty of bowling options here - finger spin, wrist spin, left-arm, Starcy when he comes back - so we will obviously pick the bowlers we think can take 20 wickets, how we are going to split that up we aren't 100 per cent sure yet," Cummins added.
"It is a chance. That's something we will have to balance up if we want to go with two spinners," he said. "Do we want variation or just two offspinners? So there is no reason why we cannot go that way. Travis Head is in the side as well and bowls really good offspin. We have got plenty of variety to choose from," added Cummins.
On the batting front, head coach McDonald believes that opener David Warner will be motivated to put his mediocre record in India behind, despite speaking of his fatigue after a busy summer season before his arrival to India.
"He is really looking forward to the challenge of India and it has been well documented that he has not had the series that he would have liked here, and it is always challenging. But the way that he is applying himself in his downtime to really landing on a method to take on the Indian spinners, also the quicks, and to have a successful tour...I think you will see him fully invigorated, fully invested and fully recharged for the challenge ahead," said McDonald.
Aussies will have another full training session on Saturday in Bengaluru on Sunday before leaving for Nagpur on Monday.