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After facing a big defeat against India in the first Test, Australia may replace struggling opener David Warner with off-spin all-rounder Travis Head to make adjustments at the top of the order in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy in New Delhi, as reported by Sydney Morning Herald.
Australia reacted swiftly to their disappointing loss to India in the first Test in Nagpur by flying spinner Matt Kuhnemann out to join the squad for the remainder of the tour. Kuhnemann will come under consideration for a Test debut when the second Test commences in Delhi on Friday, with the left-arm spinner will join the squad to replace leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson. However, according to reports in Australian media, the team management may cut experienced opener David Warner, who scored a total of 11 runs during the first Test, to make room for Head. A veteran of 102 Test matches, Warner has 8143 runs at a 45.74 batting average, including 25 centuries. His performance in India, however, is quite ordinary; he managed 399 runs from 9 matches at a strike rate of 22.16, with a best score of 71. The fact that both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja finished the first Test with 15 of the 20 wickets each speaks volumes about the kind of bowling that India currently has at its disposal. Mark Taylor, a former Australian captain, thought Warner's dismissal should be postponed and that the starter should be given at least one more game. "David's been around long enough, and I know he's had plenty of opportunities [but] I think you've got to give him at least the next Test match to get it right," Sydney Morning Herald quoted Taylor as saying. "As Warner and Usman Khawaja found out today, they bat at the top of the order and faced Ravi Ashwin with the new ball, and then four overs later got Ravi Jadeja. So, it doesn't really matter where you bat; you're going to face the same stuff. So, I would be sticking with the top two at the moment," he added. This was India's third-biggest win over Australia when with regards to victories by an innings. The second Test begins on 17 February in Delhi. (ANI)
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