Daily Times

NEW DELHI: Ashton Agar is the latest Australia player to head home from their shambolic tour of India but will link up with the squad ahead of the one-day leg next month, the touring side said on Wednesday. Australia’s hopes of reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy evaporated after back-to-back defeats in Nagpur and Delhi, both of which came inside three days. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has returned home without playing a match and off-colour opener David Warner departed after suffering concussion and a hairline fracture in his elbow in the second Test. Agar arrived as Australia’s number two spinner, behind Nathan Lyon, but did not get a match as the tourists blooded Todd Murphy in Nagpur and Matthew Kuhnemann in Delhi where they fielded a three-pronged spin attack. With all-rounder Cameron Green and fast bowler Mitchell Starc returning from injuries, Australia deemed it would be better for Agar to play domestic cricket for Western Australia before joining the ODI squad in India. Captain Pat Cummins and spinner Mitchell Swepson also flew home but would return before the third Test in Indore from March 1. Beginning on March 17, Australia are scheduled to play three one-day internationals in India.