Darren Lehmann with Australian Team during net session ahead of the final ODI against Sri Lanka © Getty Images
Darren Lehmann with Australian Team during net session ahead of the final ODI against Sri Lanka © Getty Images

Australia coach Darren Lehmann has given hints of picking limited-overs specialists for Test selection against India. Now that Australia has completed their tour against Sri Lanka, Cricket Australia (CA) will be conducting a standard post-tour review of the team’s performance. Lehmann has lauded the arrival of limited-overs players in Sri Lanka who could possibly change the fortunes for Australia in Tests against India. Batsman George Bailey, destructive allrounder Glenn Maxwell, leg-spinner Adam Zampa, wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade and opener Aaron Finch all impressed with the white ball, having not been included for the Test series. While Australia have Tests series lined up at home this summer, they want to make a comeback to the subcontinent early next year through four-Test series against India. ALSO READ: Darren Lehmann backs Cricket Australia’s decision to rest Steven Smith for rest of Sri Lanka series

Lehmann has requested the selectors to take note of the players who have proved themselves at the international level including the One-Day Internationals (ODIs). Speaking to cricket.com.au, Lehmann said, “We’ve certainly done that before when George Bailey played really well in India and got picked in the Ashes home series a few years back. The way (the limited-overs team has) played has been exceptional. That’s all you can do – put your name up in lights (from) the way you play in the one-day format. All performances for Australia count and that’s really important.”

Bailey was impressive in the ODIs and was named player of the series as well while Zampa bowled consistently well and ended up with nine wickets at the end of the ODI series. As for the Twenty20 International (T20I), Maxwell was at his best and made stunning comeback, breaking records in the process. Finch, who missed the T20I series, impressed the selectors during ODIs and so did Wade. While the Test series against Pakistan and South Africa are crucial, India’s Test holds utter importance.

Lehmann added, “We thought the side we selected for the Test series (in Sri Lanka) was right (based) on form and the previous matches we played. Obviously we didn’t play as well as we would’ve liked (in the Tests) and some of the guys struggled with the conditions here and that’s understandable, that happens sometimes. Those one-day guys have come in and they’ve performed really well and that’s impressive. And that’s all you can do when you’re looking to another tour in February of India, for example, looking at the whole squad and what we take there. We’ve got a pretty important home summer as well … so we’ll have a look at those over the next few weeks.” ALSO READ: Darren Lehmann to remain Australia head coach until 2019

Stand-in captain David Warner, who took over the responsibility after the second ODI from Steven Smith, praised his side on their excellent comeback after heavy Test defeat, “To bounce back the way we did throughout the one-day and Twenty20 series was a phenomenal achievement. The conditions we faced were pretty challenging from a one-day batting point of view. It was good, grinding cricket and we worked really hard to win both series.”