Sam Konstas moves to No. 4 for the game against India A at the MCG with strong signs the selectors are close to their decision
Nathan McSweeney made a strong case for a Test call-up • Getty Images
Nathan McSweeney will open for Australia A in the second four-day match against India A at the MCG in the clearest indication yet that he is a strong contender for the vacant role in the Test side.
McSweeney, the Australia A captain, has never opened in first-class cricket but will partner Marcus Harris in a move that confirms they are the two frontrunners for the Test role, with Cameron Bancroft listed at No. 3 and 19-year-old Sam Konstas moving down to No. 4.
“As flagged prior to the series the batting order was subject to adjustment throughout the two-match series,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “We will use the opportunity this week to gather our final information before the announcement of the Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Series following the Australia A match.”
Australia will name a 13-player squad for the first Test with two batting spots up for grabs as a reserve will also be carried.
McSweeney was the standout batting performer for in the first match against India A in Mackay, guiding the chase home with an unbeaten 88 having made 39 in the first innings batting at No.4.
“I’m really confident in my game. I’m progressing and I’m batting some of the best innings I’ve played,” McSweeney told reporters in Mackay after the match. “Hopefully I can continue to learn and get better. If the opportunity comes, I feel like I’m ready.
“If it doesn’t, I’ll keep working hard and hope that one day I get that call-up. “All I can worry about is making sure my game is in good order. I’ve got to continue to try and punch out runs.”
Between the three specialist openers in the XI, Harris’ 36 in the second innings was the highest score they managed.
McSweeney has also only batted at No. 3 15 times in first-class cricket and averages 30.86 in that spot with one first-class century. His best work has been done at No.4 where he averages 44.06 and No. 5 where he averages 57.20.
This week will also be just the second time McSweeney has played a first-class game at the MCG. He only previous appearance came when played for Queensland in 2019 where he returned scored of 0 and 16. He has played one BBL match there. McSweeney has also never played a first-class match at Perth Stadium or the SCG, although he has played four BBL games across the two venues. He has also only played one day-night pink ball match in his first-class career, for Australia A against New Zealand A in Mackay last year.
But despite all that McSweeney is now a realistic candidate to take the position for the first Test against India in Perth. Another option would be for him to bat at his usual No. 3 spot with Marnus Labuschagne moving up, something captain Pat Cummins did not rule out.
“You could do,” Cummins said before the first ODI against Pakistan. “Maybe once we we kind of start discussing who’s in the side, then you start looking at the batting order.
“Ronnie [coach Andrew McDonald] and I have said it quite a bit – where you bat isn’t that important. You try and work out how the batting order as a whole is going to function best. I don’t think anyone should be super protective around a certain spot on that.”
The lack of cricket that both McSweeney and Konstas have played on the Test venues has been a cause of concern within Cricket Australia in recent weeks. Discussions have been held about the year-on-year decline of the total number of Sheffield Shield matches played on the Test grounds, given there is a significant difference between the way the pitches play compared to first-class venues like the Junction Oval, Karen Rolton Oval, Allan Border Field and Cricket Central.
CA’s scheduling department has not been blamed. It is widely acknowledged how difficult their task is due to ground availability constraints but there is a push to try and address the issue in the future in order to better prepare players for Test cricket. It is part of the reason why three day-night Shield fixtures were added to this year’s schedule at short notice last month, despite the entire season initially being fixtured as day games.
Australia A XI 1 Marcus Harris, 2 Nathan McSweeney (capt), 3 Cameron Bancroft, 4 Sam Konstas, 5 Ollie Davies, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Jimmy Peirson (wk), 8 Michael Neser, 9 Nathan McAndrew, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Corey Rocchiccioli
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
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