Australia has named four specialist spinners in its 18-man squad for the upcoming Test series in India.
Victoria's uncapped off-spinner Todd Murphy, recently recalled Ashton Agar and Mitch Swepson join Nathan Lyon as spin options in the squad.
Peter Hanscomb has been recalled alongside Matthew Renshaw, but Marcus Harris has been left out.
Mitch Starc and Cameron Green, who both missed the final Test of the summer with broken fingers, have also been named in the squad, although Starc will miss the first Test in Nagpur on February 9.
Starc is one of five fast bowlers named in the squad, alongside Captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland and Lance Morris, with no place for Queensland's Michael Neser.
Chair of selectors George Bailey said the squad was "excited by the challenge" of playing in the subcontinent, where Australia has not won a series since 2004.
"We have selected a squad that provides the depth and flexibility required to adapt depending on the conditions we may encounter," Bailey said.
Such is Australia's stability, Murphy is the only player in the group not to have been involved in a Test squad before and one of only two players, including Morris, to not have yet earned a baggy green.
The 22-year-old Murphy has only played 7 first class matches in his career but impressed on last year's Australia A tour of Sri Lanka, and stayed on as a reserve bowler for the main Test tour afterwards.
He has since starred in the Sheffield Shield, with 14 wickets at an average of 17.71 this summer.
"Todd Murphy has progressed quickly having impressed in domestic cricket and recently with Australia A," Bailey said.
'With those performances Todd has emerged as a strong spin option."
Those returns have also impressed the likes of Lyon, with Murphy a genuine chance to play as a second or third spinner in India.
Left-armer Agar will likely begin the tour as the first-choice backup with his ability to turn the ball the other way, but Murphy remains an option.
"There's no secret that I'm very impressed by Todd Murphy," Lyon said last month.
"I have done a lot of work with Todd, been around the Sixers with him. He's definitely put his hand up.
"I first bowled with him two years ago in the Shield bubble … He's got the skill set there.
"It's just about him learning the craft tactically and mentally and just really honing in on that skill set of bowling an unbelievable stock ball."
Australia could make further changes to the squad between the second Test in Delhi and the the third in Dharamsala, with a lengthy gap between the matches.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
AAP/ABC
