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Melbourne: Australia’s newly-appointed spin mentor Stuart MacGill has warned the team against bringing in Xavier Doherty for the second Test as he feels the left-arm tweaker is “not a Test bowler” and the move would boomerang on the visitors.
“Xavier Doherty is a great guy, but he is not a Test bowler,” MacGill told an Australian daily. “I’m sure he is awesome for the team dynamics and in the past five years I would say he has been in Australia’s top three short-form spinners. He is a fantastic short-form bowler, but I don’t think Xavier brings that to Test cricket and his first-class record supports my argument,” he said.
MacGill said Nathan Lyon should be paired with all-rounder Glenn Maxwellin the second Test.
“In India right now, we can pick Nathan Lyon and Glenn Maxwell. I wasn’t convinced about Maxwell but after watching the one-day games in the UAE (last August), he thinks he belongs at this level, he is working his butt off, so let’s give him a go,” he said.
MacGill defended Lyon.
“I am going to ring Nathan before this next Test and have a chat to him. He should be incredibly flattered that India went after him. He was attacked ferociously, but the only reason that they would do that is to try and mess with him,” MacGill said.
“If they care enough about you to mess with you, that means they think you’re a threat and they think you are a good bowler,” he reasoned. (PTI)
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