Bailey set to be in Ashes contention if dominates in tour of India

Sydney: Australia`s stand-in cricket captain George Bailey has been assured that an outstanding one-day campaign in India this month could possibly earn him a spot in Australia`s Test batting line-up to take on England.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, there are several questions still to be answered about the make-up of the Australian order for the first Test in Brisbane, starting on November 21, allowing for the fact that Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Steve Smith and Michael Clarke, subject to fitness, are considered locked in for the Gabba. Amid the chopping and changing of the Ashes campaign in England there remains at least one vacancy in the middle order and Bailey, who has emerged as a vital steady hand in the 50-over format, is keen to press his claims, the report said. The Tasmanian will not start the Sheffield Shield season because of international commitments but says selectors have told him and others that form from the seven-match ODI tour of India will count heavily in the Test reckoning, the report added. Phillip Hughes, Callum Ferguson and Adam Voges are in the same boat, the report further said. Bailey said that the officials have made it clear that doing well on the Indian tour would be looked upon in the same regard as players who were staying back and doing well in the Shield. Bailey twice reached 80 in the one-day series win in England last month and with an average of 46.13 in 29 matches since his debut in the Caribbean last year has proved a key member of a side gearing up for the 2015 World Cup, according to the report. However, working against him is his recent first-class record, as he scored 256 runs at 18.28 in eight Shield games last season and the ODI squad leaves for India on Saturday, the report mentioned. ANI