India vs Australia: Matt Kuhnemann replaces Mitchell Swepson in Test squad

Matt Kuhnemann cements his pick as a shock pick for the second Test against India, with leg spinner Mitchell Swepson flying home for the birth of his first child.

The 26-year-old will take the call from the Aussie selectors and fly to India this week to bring his name into the mix for a debut at the Baggy Green later this week.

Left-arm spinner Kuhnemann has a solid first-class record to date, winning 32 wickets in 12 games and representing Australia in four ODIs.

The news was confirmed by Cricket Australia on Sunday afternoon while Kuhnemann was in the middle of a Sheffield Shield game for Queensland.

MORE: Pat Cummins defends Australia selection despite embarrassing defeat

Kuhnemann could be in line for a shock call-up depending on the fitness of some other key players, with orthodox left-arm spinner Ashton Agar reportedly struggling with confidence The courier post.

He told reporters after his Shield fight against Victoria that his call-up to the squad still hasn’t caught on.

“To my surprise, I got a call yesterday morning when we were going out to warm up. I was pretty shocked and I was probably a little bit lost in the first session yesterday,” he said.

“It was a pretty great feeling and it’s pretty cool to say it to the guys in the warm-up as well.

“I watched every day… I was just such a fan of these shows, they’re so good to watch. Todd Murphy was exceptional and I watched Jadeja bowl.

“I’m just really excited to get there and be with the guys.”

Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc are both pushing for a return from injury in Delhi, while there could be a casual move after the controversial decision to drop Travis Head in Nagpur.

Australia lost the first Test by one innings and 132 carries, leaving more questions than answers for the remaining three games of the all-important series.

Head coach Andrew McDonald announced that Kuhnemann is right for the Aussies for the remainder of the series.

“He’s a live chance to play in the next friendly,” he said.

“Obviously when we play three spinners we want reinforcements here and be available in the squad if we want to. That’s why we have four crackpots in the squad.

“The question for us was, is it too similar when two spinners in tandem spin the ball? Did we use enough angles at certain times?

“I thought Todd Murphy – we’re talking about all the negative aspects of the game – but I thought that would be a huge advantage for us as a team.

“It gives us a different look at some possible structures for the next team.”

The second test begins on Friday, February 17th.