Tremain quickly gets into Indian swing

Dry and lifeless pitches are one thing for the Australia A quicks to deal with, but a foreign ball that scuffs quickly are another piece of the puzzle to unravel.

Test hopeful Chris Tremain has detailed his early experiences with the SG brand of cricket ball used in India, and the Victorian quick admits he's on a steep learning curve.

"I'm really excited about playing four-day cricket in the subcontinent, I've never done it before. I've heard a lot of whispers about how difficult it will be and the challenges we are up against," Tremain told radio station SEN this week.

"I had my first bowl with the SG ball we'll be using – I bowled six balls and it looked like I'd been bowling on cement with it.

"It had been torn up, it looked like a dog's breakfast by the end of it."

It underlined a couple of points for the Australia A pace attack. Firstly, the importance of making the absolute most of the ball in the first few overs when it's new and hard. And secondly, the key to success could lie in reverse swing.

"It was really interesting to work out how to get this ball to move on what essentially was a cement wicket," Tremain said after training sessions at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the first match with India A begins on Sunday.

"Even the little things like how to shine the ball – dry shine, wet shine and, me being the profuse sweater I am, how to hold the ball without waterlogging it.

"I'm really excited to get this experience and work out some tactics to one, be successful in the subcontinent, and two, when things get difficult back in Australia and they mirror what we might find in the subcontinent, to be able to thrive when it gets difficult at home as well."

Tremain is vying with fellow Australia A quicks Brendon Doggett, Michael Neser and Joel Paris, as well as the likes of Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers and Jhye Richardson, to be Mitchell Starc's new-ball partner in the UAE for two Tests against Pakistan in October.

The Australia A squad also has three spinners with Ashton Agar, Mitchell Swepson and Jon Holland all hoping to be Nathan Lyon's partner in crime, with two spinners in the playing XI a distinct possibility.

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have both been ruled out of the series, neither having the time to get the necessary volume of bowling in to be match fit for the Pakistan series after recuperating from injury.

All three Ashes-winnings quicks have been training with the NSW Blues squad as they prepare for the JLT Cup, a tournament in which Starc will not play in but which is expected to feature Hazlewood and Cummins at some point.

Australia A Tour of India

Australia A four-day squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain

Four-day fixtures in Bengaluru

2-5 September v India A

8-11 September v India A