Beau Webster took a giant step towards realising his dream of playing Test cricket for Australia after the uncapped all-rounder was, on Thursday, added to Australia’s squad for next week’s second Test against India in Adelaide as cover for Mitchell Marsh. The 30-year-old is on standby after Marsh pulled up sore following their 295-run thrashing by the visitors in the first Test at Perth on Monday.
“Webster will join the squad next week, having been named the Sheffield Shield player of the year last summer and continuing that form this season,” Cricket Australia said.
“(Marsh) He has been battling a couple of little niggles since the UK tour,” Australian captain Pat Cummins said following the 295-run loss to India.
“He was a little sore towards the end of this Test match (Perth), so the next 10 days he has a chance to freshen up and try to get it right. We’ll see how he goes.” If Marsh doesn’t recover in time for the second Test, Webster could be handed a debut.
Who is Beau Webster?
Webster hails from Tasmania and has been one of the star performers in the Sheffield Shield over the past two years, collecting 1788 runs, including five hundreds and nine fifties. He is also a right-arm pacer like Marsh.
He starred in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales earlier this week, striking a 61 and 49 besides taking five wickets.
Webster has accumulated 448 runs at an average of 56 in first-class cricket this summer, along with taking 16 wickets. His standout performances include unbeaten scores of 61 and 46, as well as bowling figures of 3-19 and 3-49 in Australia A’s 2-0 series win against India A.
Last summer, Webster became just the second player in the competition’s 132-year history after West Indian great Sir Garry Sobers to score more than 900 runs and take 30 wickets in a season.
“(Webster’s) a special player at the moment,” Tasmanian captain Jordan Silk told reporters after the domestic game.
“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.”Despite the heavy defeat, Australia are unlikely to make wholesale changes to their playing eleven and have retained the same squad for the Adelaide fixture.
