SYDNEY, Sept 19: Australia’s late-blooming leg-spinner Bryce McGain faces a massive challenge bowling to India’s spin batting masters on next month’s tour of the subcontinent, Test paceman Stuart Clark said on Friday.

The Australians leave for India on Sunday and have included the uncapped 36-year-old as part of their tour strategy for the four-Test campaign.

Australia have indicated they are keen to attack India’s premier batting lineup through their pace attack, led by Clark and Brett Lee.

But India’s pitches are renowned for their lack of bounce and assistance to the slow bowlers so internationally-untried McGain will be pitched into the deep end as the Aussies seek to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“We did discuss it very briefly in our training camp,” Clark told radio here on Friday. “What we’ve got to remember is these blokes are proven performers in whatever cricket they have played.

“They (spinners) have done well somewhere otherwise they wouldn’t have got picked. We’ve got to try and take that view.

“But it’s going to be an interesting challenge for them. India are great players of slow bowling and they are going to be put to the test straight away. It will be a matter of how they step up and we have got full confidence in them.”

Tasmanian finger-spinner Jason Krejza, 25, and Victoria’s McGain are Australia’s frontline spinners with Beau Casson overlooked after making his Test debut against the West Indies earlier this year in the Caribbean.

All rounder Andrew Symonds will miss the tour after he was disciplined for going fishing rather than attending a compulsory team meeting during the one-day series against Bangladesh last month.

Clark said he welcomed moves by Symonds this week to knuckle down and force his way back into the Test side.

“It was starting to get for me a bit concerning he hadn’t said anything,” Clark said. “We hadn’t heard from him. He hadn’t made a statement to the media.

“It was great to see him come out (and speak). It was great to see he’s committed to playing again and we look forward to him working his way back into the team because he brings a lot to the team.”

Clark dismissed Pakistan’s accusation that Australia were showing “double standards” by touring India despite five bomb blasts which ripped through parts of Delhi earlier this month, killing more than 20 people.

Australia cancelled a tour of Pakistan earlier this year over security concerns. Australia were one of four nations that voiced concerns, effectively forcing the postponement of this year’s Champions Trophy in the Muslim state.

“I suppose that was inevitable. They (Pakistan) were always going to say something like that,” Clark said. “It’s all based on what DFAT (Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) say.

“DFAT said we shouldn’t tour Pakistan and (for) India it says we should travel with caution. It’s as simple as that.”

Clark said the Australians were genuinely excited about their re-match with India after acrimonious exchanges between Symonds and spinner Harbhajan Singh last summer.—AFP