Australia would add uncapped fast-bowling all-rounder Beau Webster to the roster for the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test, to be played in Adelaide with the pink ball, starting on December 6.
A News Corp report said on Wednesday that Webster was picked up as an injury cover for fellow all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who pulled up "sore" following the series-opener where Australia suffered 295-run loss to India inside four days at Perth Stadium.
Though there is a ten-day gap between the first and second Tests, if Marsh fails to recover in time for the Adelaide game, after bowling more than ten overs in Perth, then Webster has a chance to become Australia's 468th men's Test cricketer.
"Has he pulled up OK? We'll wait and see. We knew that Mitch (Marsh) was slightly underdone coming in, but I thought the performance in the first innings was satisfactory," said head coach Andrew McDonald following the loss at Perth.
Webster had mustered scores of 61 & 49, along with picked up 3/81 & 2/25 with the ball in Tasmania in gaining a 55-run victory over New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, in the course of the season as it gets the state their first victory of the ongoing season.
Since the start of 2022/23, Webster has accumulated 1788 runs at an average of 51.08, including five hundreds and nine fifties. He’s also claimed 30 wickets at an average of 29.30 in the last Sheffield Shield season. In the recent Australia A 2-0 series win over India A, he scored 145 runs and picked seven wickets.
For me, Webster's a special player at the moment. Anytime I feel like we're in trouble, I feel like I can throw him the ball and he just seems to be able to create something, or anytime we're in similar trouble with the bat then he's able to dig us out of it.".
"He showed his class again this game with valuable runs, first and second innings, and then obviously to take the last two wickets. It was exceptional and he just really wants the ball in those situations. He's a great guy to have in our group and a real leader.".
Tasmania skipper Jordan Silk described he feels more and more in competition the cricketer should take an offer if offered the right fit "I know there's a bit of talk around him potentially as a backup all-rounder for the Test side and I'm very supportive of that move if they are to go that way," he said in reports from Sydney following the match end.
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