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Australia's 5-wicket hero Kuhnemann was not even picked for India series; here's his story

Matthew Kuhnemann took five wickets in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy, reducing India to a paltry 109 all out in 33.2 overs

Published: Wed 1 Mar 2023, 4:14 PM

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Matthew Kuhnemann, Australia’s hero on the first day of the third Test against India, was not meant to be in the series. The 26-year-old left-arm spinner did not make the cut when the team for the India tour was announced.

Kuhnemann, born on September 20, 1996, was called in as a mid-series reinforcement, after leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson had to return for the birth of his first child.


Kuhnemann took five wickets on Wednesday, reducing India to a paltry 109 all out in 33.2 overs in Indore. It was only his second Test; he made his debut against Rohit Sharma’s team in the second match of the Border-Gavaskar trophy Delhi.

Kuhnemann, a Queensland player, was selected in Delhi ahead of Ashton Agar, thanks to his showing at the nets. He got two wickets in that match.

“I’ve watched every day (of the first Test)", media reports quoted him as saying before his arrival in India. "I’ve just been such a fan of these series; they’re so good to watch. Todd Murphy was exceptional, and I watched how (Ravindra) Jadeja bowled. I’m just really excited to get over there and be with the boys."

Kuhnemann’s ODI debut in Sri Lanka, too, came under extraordinary circumstances. He was given the baggy green cap as Adam Zampa missed the tour on paternity leave, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Kuhnemann, who has represented the Australian U-19 team, has scalped six wickets in four ODIs.

It followed a successful Sheffield Shield campaign for the spinner who took 25 wickets at 31.88 in seven matches for Queensland, according to Fox Sports, which also said no spinner across the competition claimed more scalps during the 2021/22 season.

A left-arm spinner from the Gold Coast, Kuhnemann was handed a rookie contact by Queensland for 2016-17, cricket.com.au reported. His short profile on that website said he shot to prominence in 2019 for the Brisbane Heat, taking two wickets on his BBL (Big Bash League) debut.

On Wednesday, he dismissed Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, opener Shubman Gill (who was brought in as a replacement for out-of-form KL Rahul), middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, and tail-enders Ravichandran Ashwin and Umesh Yadav. Such was India’s collapse, that Virat Kohli’s 22 was the top score posted by an Indian in their first innings in Indore.

His heroics meant India, who have taken a 2-0 lead in the four-match series and already retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy, were in the backfoot for the first time in the series. Australia were 156/4 at stumps on Day 1, with Usman Khawaja the top scorer so far with 60. Peter Handscomb and Cameron Green are unbeaten at the crease.

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