Former Australia captain Michael Clarke on Tuesday has said that playing two off-spinners in the playing XI is not right for the balance of the team but selectors now can’t leave out off-spinner Todd Murphy but can’t drop veteran Nathan Lyon either.
Matthew Kuhnemann has been parachuted into the squad as an option to spin the ball away from right-handers, but fitting him into the XI is tough given Murphy’s strong performance.
“Our spinners did a good job but I don’t know if two offies is the right balance for us as well,” said Clarke on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.
Clarke also lamented selectors for picking Matt Renshaw ahead of the Travis Head.
“Travis Head at No.5, if you start with him and it doesn’t work, then you can make a change,” he said.
“Now, they either shoot themselves in the foot if they drop Matthew Renshaw because they say ‘okay, we made a mistake’, and Andrew McDonald has come out and said ‘we haven’t made a mistake’.
“They’ve put themselves in such a tough position.”
Australia lost the first Test by an innings and 132 runs and the second Test in Delhi will start from Friday.