McGain expects battle for Oz spinner

Bryce McGain was set to make his Test debut before injury forced him to go home

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Victoria leg spinner Bryce McGain says whichever spinner Australia choose for tomorrow's first Test against India will need “a tough mindset” to trouble the home side's star-studded batting line-up.

McGain, who almost certainly would have been chosen to make his Test debut on Thursday had he not been forced to return to Australia because of injury, believes the hosts will target the tourists’ spinner as the team's potential weak link.

Either Tasmania off-spinner Jason Krejza or Victoria leg-spinning all-rounder Cameron White is expected to be named for a Test debut with Australia's spinning stocks at their lowest ebb for decades following the retirements of Shane Warne, Stuart McGill and Brad Hogg.

McGain experienced on the recent Australia A tour of India the intensity with which the home side's batsmen attempt to undermine the confidence of visiting spin bowler.

"They just go that hard at you and they want to do that - they want to make a statement and they want to destroy your confidence," he said.

"It is not surprising that is how they are going to approach it.

"You have got to have a strong mindset in terms of how you prepare for it and I had spent a lot of time getting my head around how I was going to take on that challenge (before getting injured).

“It will be tough for whoever takes that spin bowling berth in the first Test because they are going to really challenge whoever it is."

Off-spinner Jason Krejza is in contention to make his international bow tomorrow

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However, McGain says he is confident both Krejza, who went wicketless in the Australia's only warm-up match prior to the first Test, and White are capable of rising to the challenge.

And he insists Krejza remains upbeat despite his mauling during the tour match.

"He is quite buoyant about what he is doing and looking forward to the challenges ahead," he said.

However McGain said he believes the style of bowling of his Victorian skipper White may be more suited to the conditions.

"(White) bowls a little quicker and his style is probably a bit more suited to the Indian conditions," he said.

"He will work (to exploit) the variable bounce similar to what (India skipper and leg-spinner Anil) Kumble does.

"He has played in Indian conditions before (in Twenty20 cricket) and has got some experience with the recent A tour so he is well positioned if he gets the nod in that first Test to do well for Australia."