Aussies' Green-keeping to be put to test

Cameron Green remains the "added bonus" of the Test bowling attack, rather than the frontline weapon he is on the verge of becoming, as close tabs continue to be kept on one of Australian cricket's most precious assets.

While the Aussies insist the training wheels are off for their 23-year-old prodigy, it was telling that Green sent down just three overs on the final day of their NRMA Insurance Test opener against West Indies despite the hosts being a bowler down.

Much of the focus was centered on injured skipper Pat Cummins not risking further damage to a quad concern by not bowling in the fourth innings, but his call to not overuse Green was also notable.

Speed-wise, Green rivalled the main pace trio at times during the Test, while he was unfortunate not to add a second victim for the match when he had Tagenarine Chanderpaul dropped off his bowling on day four.

The Windies were bowled out with a session-and-a-half in the match to spare, so the call to largely keep Green on ice on Sunday, having sent down 23 overs for the match, was vindicated.

His importance to the Test team’s structure has arguably never been greater, particularly given his likely back-up, Mitch Marsh, has been ruled out for months due to ankle surgery.  

"His load is going to depend on how the front three quicks go in the game, and obviously Nathan Lyon, so he's an added bonus," said coach Andrew McDonald.

"But I think we can see him bowling in and around that sort of 20 to 30 over mark for most of the summer, just purely on the fact that we don't need any more from him.

"Could he do more? Potentially. But we're not stretched at the moment in that space, because of the quality of the four bowlers in front of him at the moment."

Whether Australia have the luxury of keeping Green's bowling workload in that vicinity for the rest of the home summer, which is closely backed up by an ensuing four-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy campaign in India, shapes as a key factor in their management of the allrounder.

It seems certain the Cummins-Lyon-Starc-Hazlewood quartet – the first foursome all with 200-plus Test wickets under their belts to feature in the same side – will be broken up at some point over the coming weeks due to fitness or workload issues.

That will inevitably present a temptation to give Green, an established bowler who at times during last summer's home Ashes campaign appeared as potent as any of the specialist bowlers, longer spells.

That could come as soon as Thursday for the second Test in Adelaide given last summer he snared six wickets at 16 in last summer's two day-night Ashes contests.

He dismissed England's two best batters, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, with the pink ball in Adelaide before running riot under lights in Hobart to hasten a three-day finish by dismissing the entire top three and return career-best figures of 3-21.

Green told cricket.com.au last week that although there are no firm restrictions on how much he bowls this summer, the fact his preparation for the Test series did not include any long-form cricket meant he was likely to be eased into proceedings.

"He bats in the top six, he's holding his own as a batter," said McDonald. "So I could say that he's pretty much unrestricted at the moment. Do we still keep an eye on it? Yeah, we do. We keep an eye on all our fast bowlers."

A further challenge will come in India when Green is likely to be deployed as a third seamer, allowing Australia to pick two frontline spinners, on turning pitches like he was for tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka this year.

A maiden Indian Premier League appearance then looms and it is tipped that he will earn a handsome pay packet when he goes under the hammer in next month's auction.

But even if that does materialise, McDonald suggested there is still water to go under the bridge.

"His overall load in the next 12 months of cricket, is it a concern? Yeah I think it's a concern for every player," said the coach.

"Players make decisions around what they do factoring what's coming up. He's an all-format player now, I'm sure he’ll be considering where he plays and what legs he chooses to play in for the next 10 years of his career, where things fit and what time.

"He's got a lot of cricket before the IPL and I'm sure his decision won't be made right now, it will be made later on down the track leading into the IPL.

"You never know what your body is going to feel like in three months' time on the back of nine Test matches plus some white ball cricket of the back end of that Indian series.

"I think he'll assess where he's at and he'll make a decision closer (to the IPL). We encourage all our players, if it fits, to go to the IPL. It's so far away from it at the moment that why wouldn't you throw your hat in the ring."

Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v West Indies

First Test: Australia won by 164 runs

Dec 8-12: Second Test, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Marquino Mindley, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas

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