Australian youngster Nathan McSweeney, who was given his Test debut in the first Test match between India and Australia at Perth, has been dropped from the squad. The opener played in the first three matches but failed in order to impress the fans and experts. Teenager Sam Konstas has been added to replace the batter, receiving a first-time callup.
Before the start of the fourth Test match between India and Australia in Melbourne, the Australian selector George Bailey announced that Nathan McSweeney has been released from the squad and Sam Konstas gets his maiden call-up to the national side.
Nathan McSweeney is a middle-order batter, who was promoted to bat as an opener in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The youngster fulfilled the role of batting as an opener by settling down and facing the tough overs. With only 72 runs in 6 innings, many feel he should have been given the chance to play through the series, despite its significance.
Simon Katich stated, “It’s a tough one. I think it’s not right from a consistency perspective. Purely because if you look at the way this series has played out, there are a number of batsmen from both teams at the top of the order that have struggled against the moving ball in some tricky conditions across the first three Tests.”
“From that perspective I’d say I don’t agree with it because I think in that last Test match at the Gabba, the top three really allowed Steve Smith and Travis Head to do what they did in the middle order by absorbing a lot of pressure against Bumrah and the new ball,” he added while defending McSweeney.
Simon Katich opens up on Sam Konstas facing Jasprit Bumrah
19-year-old batter Sam Konstas has been added to the Australian Test squad for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy replacing opener Nathan McSweeney. The teenager has great stats in the first class cricket in Australia.
Simon Katich said, “I know all the talk is around having more positive intent, and I think that’s all well and good, and it is certainly something they have to be mindful of.”
He added, “But against someone like Bumrah intent is not about just blazing him for fours, because he doesn’t bowl many bad balls. So a lot of that intent has to be about rotating strike and being able to defend really well, because you’re not gonna be able to play with any intent if you aren’t there after the tenth over. That’s the challenge for all of these guys.”
