This could be the last Indian tour for these 5 Australian players

The last test of the Border Gavaskar trophy is all set to begin in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The series is currently tilting at 2-1 in the favor of the hosts. The series has seen some serious battles between bat and ball. 

The Australian team houses some very familiar faces; faces that we have grown fond of seeing. However, not all of them may make it into the Australian squad the next time Australia visit India. Below listed are some players, who may not be a part of the Australian roster on future Indian tours: 

1. David Warner 

Of all the countries David Warner has played in, he has the second-worst average in test matches in India. It appears that the left-hander finds it hard to tackle the spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja on Indian pitches. 

Warner is yet to score a Test hundred on Indian turf. In 10 Tests in India, Warner has just scored 414 runs at an average of just above 21, with his highest being 71 runs. In 19 innings, the 36-year-old has gone past the 50 runs mark only thrice. 

Contrary to his test numbers in India, his limited-overs figures in India are quite impressive. Warner is even one of the most successful players in the Indian Premier League, with 5881 runs to his name, the most by any foreign player in the IPL. 

Nonetheless, the last couple of years have not been the best for Warner at the international level. The Aussie opener has seen a huge drop in his average and has not been able to get big scores despite getting starts. Factoring in his age, and the lack of success he has had at the international level, it is only a matter of time before Australia replace him in the squad. Thus, whenever Australia travel to India after the ODI World Cup this year, we may not see Warner in the baggy green. 

2. Nathan Lyon

In the last decade or so, Nathan Lyon has probably been the best-performing traveling spinner. He has constantly delivered better than his reputation, causing severe nightmares to the Indian batsmen. 

Lyon is Australia’s primary spinner in test matches and is quite deadly on the subcontinent turf. However, the 36-year-old needs to fight his age if he wishes to be a part of the next tour Australia take to India. 

Australia have already started to look for replacements for Nathan Lyon if he retires in the next couple of years. Toddy Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann have impressed the team management with the few outings they have had with the team on the current tour. It seems that the next Australian team may come to India with these two spinners again, with Lyon probably retired by then. 

3. Steve Smith

Of all the names on this list, Steve Smith is the one that may surprise you the most. Steve Smith is someone you would always want on your team. But, age is something no one can escape.

Smith will be 34 in a few months. Given Australia’s history, he may only be around for the next 2 or 3 years in the Australian team. However, there is a huge chance Australia may not play India in India in the next World Test Championship cycle. 

Thus, this could very well be Smith’s last test tour in India. But, with the kind of fitness standards that Steve Smith keeps for himself, he could stick around for a few more years and could very well be in India on the next tour as well. 

4. Scott Boland

The inclusion of Scott Boland for this year’s Border-Gavaskar trophy was a rather surprising one. Despite having an impressive domestic record, Boland has just not been able to leave his mark at the international level. The story is always the same for Boland; he does well in the domestic circuit, gets roped into the Australian squad, fails to deliver on the expectations, and gets dropped. 

When Boland played ahead of Hazlewood in the first test, it came as a huge shocker to everyone. He bowled 17 overs and went wicketless in the game. As a result, he  was dropped from the squad. It is very unlikely that Boland would return to the team for the final test. 

Boland is currently 33 years old and is currently living under the shadows of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, who have a good amount of cricketing years ahead of them. Thus, everything currently points at Boland not being on the flight for the next Indian tour.

5. Usman Khawaja

Khawaja has probably looked Australia’s most confident batsman on this tour. In 6 innings, he has two scores of fifty-plus. It may sound less, but given how batting has occurred in this ongoing series, it is actually praiseworthy. 

Khawaja has had very impressive numbers with Australia. Filling in the shoes of Chris Rogers was never easy but the left-hander has been a like replacement for the former Australian batsman. In 59 Test appearances for Australia, Khawaja has scored 4315 runs at an average of 46.40.

Nonetheless, as is the case with almost all the other names in this list, Khawaja too cannot fight age. Khawaja is currently 36 years old and is slowly inching toward the descent of his international career. By the time Australia visit India again, there is a fair chance Khawaja would have already announced his retirement. We may see new openers in the Australian squad as both Warner and Khawaja may not be a part of the Australian team then. 

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