White an apt choice in Indian conditions: Victoria coach

Adelaide, Oct 6 (UNI) Victorian coach Greg Shipperd has backed the decision to draft Cameron White into the Australian team for the upcoming Test series against India and feels that the all-rounders prior experience in the Indian sub-continent would make him a tough customer.

Shipperd stated that White would be ready to bowl long spells as the situation demand, despite not bowling too much in recent times - mainly because his domestic side Victoria had a very good bowling attack.

''That's (White not bowling that much) been an issue of team balance,'' Shipperd said.

''Cameron as captain had a very strong bowling group to lead with and was in a position that he didn't need to bowl. He's played enough cricket now that he's learned his lessons from the past,'' he added.

He further said White's association with the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the tour with Australia A to play a tri-series involving their Indian and Kiwi conterparts would help him to make a impact in the Test series as well.

''And having just competed in India and done well he would be as relaxed as you can be for the challenges that a Test match against India in India would bring,'' he said.

However, Australian captain Ricky Ponting said yesterday that both White and Jason Krejza stood with equal chances of making it to the playing XI but the dice looks heavily loaded in favour of White now, after Krejza had a rather ordinary match against the Board President's XI - conceding 199 runs in 31 overs.

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