Slater in, Elliott out from Aussie squad
Australian opening batsman Michael Slater will return to the scene of his lowest moment, 16 months after a rash swipe appeared to end his Test cricket career.
Slater was recalled to the Australian squad today for the three-test tour of India starting later this month, replacing Matthew Elliott.
"I'm ecstatic. To be in the Indian tour is sort of getting back to where I want to be. It's fantastic,'' Slater said.
"The opportunity's in front of me and I want to get over there and get some runs.''
Elliott, who has paid the price for a poor home series against South Africa, took over from Slater in November 1996 after Australia's previous tour to India.
Elliott was too upset to talk to the media today.
In the one-off test at New Delhi, Slater came out to bat in the second innings with Australia 179 runs behind. Seven balls into the innings he slashed at a ball well wide of off-stump and sliced a catch to Mohammad Azharuddin at slip.
"That wide one swinging away will be left this time. Well, I hope so anyway,'' Slater said.
Slater's wild shot under pressure counted more than his 47.41 average from 34 tests, and Elliott took over when the next team was named.
When Elliott was forced out with an injury his position passed to Matthew Hayden, leaving Slater clearly out of favour. He will turn 28 on the day Australia's team arrives in India.
Slater, a revelation on the 1993 Ashes tour to England, was reduced to midweek games as Elliott prospered on last year's winning tour there.
He will rejoin resurgent captain Mark Taylor at the top of the order and Taylor broke the news to his New South Wales teammate by mobile telephone as Slater was playing a round of golf in Sydney.
I was on the fourth hole,'' Slater said. "It was a great thrill that he was the guy who let me know. I've played quite a bit of cricket with him and we're great mates.''
Taylor and Slater have scored 3,269 runs at an average of 59.3 runs, making them the third most successful pair in Test cricket. West Indians Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes lead the pack with 6,482 runs at 47.31 runs average followed by Lawry and Bob Simpson of Australia with 3,596 runs at 60.95 runs on average.
Australia will field a team missing injured strike bowlers Glenn
McGrath and Jason Gillespie.
Medium pacer Paul Reiffel will hold much of the responsibility
with Australia calling up Adam Dale and Paul Wilson for their first Test squads.
Australia is unbeaten in 10 straight series under Taylor but has not won in India or Pakistan for 28 years.
Australia has played just one Test in India in the last 12 years and last won a series under Bill Lawry in 1969-70.
Victory on the subcontinent is Taylor's most important remaining
goal and his hopes will be boosted by leg-spinner Shane Warne.
Warne, one of three spinners chosen along with Stuart MacGill and Gavin Robertson, missed the previous Test in India because of injury.
Leg-spinner MacGill made his debut in the drawn test against South Africa last week while off-spinner Robertson returns to the squad for the first time since the tour of Pakistan in 1994.
Robertson has yet to play a Test while batsman Darren Lehmann is the fourth member of the squad who is uncapped. He was 12th man for one match when he was 19.
If Lehmann plays he will break Mark Waugh's Australian record for scoring the most first-class runs before gaining a Test place. Waugh made his debut after scoring 7,508 runs while South Australian Lehmann has 10,187.
"You get down at times but all you can do is make runs for your state when you are playing for it and that is all I was trying to do,'' Lehmann said of his long wait.
"Obviously you get disenchanted at various occasions but most of the time I was always pretty positive. I don't think you ever give up hope.''
Meanwhile, officials of the Australian Cricket Board and the Australian Cricketers Association met to discuss the contentious matter of player payments. They are expected to reach a consensus on the matter.
The first Test begins in Madras on March 6 followed by one in Calcutta on March 18 and in Bangalore on March 25. The Test series will be followed by a triangular limited-overs series including Zimbabwe.
The team: Mark Taylor (captain), Steve Waugh (vice-captain), Greg Blewett, Adam Dale, Ian Healy, Michael Kasprowicz, Darren Lehmann, Stuart MacGill, Ricky Ponting, Paul Reiffel, Gavin Robertson, Michael Slater, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh, Paul Ailson.
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