Australia will be counting on their pace attack, not spin, to beat India in their four-Test series that begins next month, chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said on Friday.
Australia named the uncapped Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle in their 15-man squad to provide back-up to the front line trio of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson for the series.
- Schedule: Australia's tour of India 2008
"It'll depend on conditions, they are spinner friendly, but when we won there last time [in 2004] we won because of our quick bowlers and we think it'll be the same this time," Hilditch told reporters in Adelaide on Friday.
Selectors also included uncapped leg spinner Bryce McGain, who could make his Test debut at the age of 36, and off-spinner Jason Krejza in the squad to replace the now retired Stuart MacGill.
All-rounder Andrew Symonds, dropped from the side for the one-day series with Bangladesh in Darwin earlier this month after he missed a team meeting and went fishing instead, was not included.
Hilditch had said earlier in a statement that Symonds would not be considered again until the national selection panel are satisfied he is committed to playing for the team.
WELFARE
The 33-year-old, who was almost sent home from the 2005 Ashes tour of England when he turned up for a match still under the influence of alcohol, has been replaced by fellow all-rounder Shane Watson.
"You miss Andrew Symonds, he's a great player, but this is just the way it is at the moment," said Hilditch.
"At the moment it's all about Andrew's welfare and that process will take as long as it takes."
Captain Ricky Ponting (wrist) and opening batsman Matthew Hayden (Achille's tendon) have been included after they returned home injured from the tour of West Indies.
Ponting had surgery while Hayden underwent an extensive rehabilitation programme, with both missing the recent one-day series in Darwin.
The first Test begins in Bangalore on October 9, followed by matches in Mohali (October 17-21), Delhi (October 29-November 2) and in Nagpur (November 5-9).
Hilditch said the series is becoming as important to Australia as the Ashes series with England.
"It's an iconic series, I don't know what the players would say about which is more important, we always traditionally say the Ashes and that will always be up there, but this is really up there for the players," he said.
"We've only won there once in 30 years so this'll be a real test for this team and we've picked it to specifically try to win this series."
