Beau Webster is set to receive his maiden national call-up this week, with the Tasmanian all-rounder reportedly included in Australia’s squad for the second Test against India at Adelaide Oval.
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As first revealed by News Corp, Webster has been added to Australia’s Test squad after the hosts suffered a 295-run loss to India at Perth Stadium, picked as injury cover for fellow all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who pulled up “sore” following the series opener.
“(Marsh) has been battling a couple of little niggles since the UK tour,” Australian captain Pat Cummins said during the post-match press conference in Perth.
“He was a little but sore towards the end of this Test match, so the next ten days he has a chance to freshen up and try to get it right.
“We’ll see how he goes.”
There is a ten-gap between the Perth and Adelaide matches, but should Marsh fail to recover before the day-night contest, Webster could receive his baggy green next week and become Australia’s 468th men’s Test cricketer.
Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, who has been in blistering form in the Sheffield Shield, is also an option to replace Marsh if required, but couldn’t provide Webster’s bowling output.
Webster, who hails from Snug in Tasmania’s south, has been one of the most consistent Sheffield Shield cricketers over the past 24 months – since the start of 2022/23, he has accumulated 1788 runs at 51.08, including five hundreds and nine fifties. Only one cricketer has managed more runs during that period – West Australian opener Cameron Bancroft.
The 30-year-old is also a handy right-armed seamer, claiming 30 Sheffield Shield wickets at 29.30 last summer. During the recent Australia A series against India A, he scored 145 runs at 72.50 and contributed seven wickets.
He also enjoyed a successful stint at Gloucestershire in the County Championship over the winter, cracking 233 runs at 58.25 and snaring 16 scalps at 21.25, including a career-best bowling performance of 6-100 against Derbyshire.
During this week’s Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales at the SCG, Webster notched scores of 61 and 49 while also claiming five wickets. He struck twice in what proved the final over of the match to help Tasmania clinch a 55-run victory, the state’s first win of the season, with 13 minutes remaining on day four.
“(Webster’s) a special player at the moment,” Tasmanian captain Jordan Silk told reporters after the match
“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.
“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.”
The second Test between Australia and India gets underway at Adelaide Oval on Friday, December 6.
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