Test hopeful Nathan McSweeney warned of opening difficulties
Nathan McSweeney is on the cusp of Test selection, but he will almost certainly need to bat out of position to get a baggy green.
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Nathan McSweeney is on the cusp of Test selection, but the South Australian captain will almost certainly need to bat out of position if he receives a coveted baggy green this summer.
The 25-year-old, who will lead Australia A over the coming fortnight, has emerged as a leading candidate to fill the vacancy in the Test side this summer after a prolific 12 months in red-ball cricket.
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He was South Australia’s leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last summer with 762 runs at 40.1, while he’s started the 2024/25 campaign with scores of 55, 127 not out, 37 and 72.
Last week, he smacked a career-best 137 (131) against Queensland in the one-day cup to further press his case for national honours.
McSweeney has also been celebrated for his captaincy material, touted as an option to replace Pat Cummins as Test skipper when the time comes.
However, should the right-hander make his Test debut against India at Perth Stadium next month, he would be required to face the new ball alongside veteran opener Usman Khawaja rather than occupy a preferred position at No. 3 or No. 4.
After confirmation that incumbent opener Steve Smith would return to the middle order this summer, Cameron Green’s replacement for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy would, barring a drastic reshuffle, need to be an opener.
Subsequently, McSweeney is in a four-horse race — alongside Australia A teammates Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Sam Konstas — for a Test call-up.
“I think he’s a legitimate chance to put his hand up for selection at some point in time, whether that be in the middle order … or whether his technique can push for an opening slot,” Australian coach Andrew McDonald said of McSweeney this week.
“I think he’s technically capable and definitely got the mindset to be able to achieve good things at the top of the order, but whether that’s the time and place for him right now, that’s to be decided.’’
Speaking to reporters in Mackay on Wednesday, McSweeney reiterated he was confident he could open the batting against India this summer if required.
“I think I’m playing probably the best cricket I have,” McSweeney said.
“Batting No. 3 for South Australia, and pretty much my whole career, it’s not too dissimilar to opening. You can be in there the first over of the game.
“All my prep’s with the new ball, so I feel like my game’s ready.
“Hopefully I can get an opportunity. If not, I’ll keep trying to get better. What will be, will be.”
Several Australian cricketers have successfully transitioned from middle-order batters to openers, including the likes of Simon Katich, Justin Langer and David Boon.
More recently, Khawaja reinvented himself as a Test opener in 2022 after spending the majority of his Test career at No. 3 or lower.
However, as shown by Smith’s recent opening experiment, facing the new ball is no easy task. Aaron Finch and Greg Blewett, who occupied the middle order for most of their domestic careers, also failed as Test openers and subsequently copped the axe.
“It just sucks. I’ve got to be honest, it sucks,” Khawaja told Fox Cricket when asked about the challenges of opening the batting in Tests.
“When I played for Queensland I batted four. It’s a lot more free-flowing, you’re coming in against the older ball, you get spinners.
“But as an opener, you’re facing the best bowlers every single time, every time you go out to bat, and you have to respect that. It’s a new ball every single time too, so the margin for error becomes a little bit smaller.
“You have to kind of put away the ego at times.
“Sometimes I don’t really score. It’s really frustrating, because I love scoring runs. But in my head, I know my role here.
“The more I bat out here, the easier it’s going to get for guys coming in after me, so I could play a mental game with myself too at times, because it’s very easy to just think about yourself.
“I know that I’m putting time into the bowlers’ legs, frustrating them, and then we might not reap the rewards until later on.
“Sometimes you just have to find other ways to contribute to the team.”
Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, who also flourished as a Test opener after starting his international career down the order, believes there isn’t much difference between opening and batting at No. 3.
“It’s not that big of a jump, you’re still facing the brand new ball with fresh bowlers on fresh wickets,” Watson argued when speaking to Fox Cricket.
“The biggest struggle was facing the brand new ball. There’s more chance of it moving for a little bit longer, a bit more seam movement, a bit more swing, and the best bowlers trying to work you over.”
Watson, who averaged 40.98 as a Test opener, also enjoyed playing his natural game at the top of the order without the match situation dictating how he approached the innings.
Australia was searching for a new opener four years ago when David Warner sustained a groin injury ahead of the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
Rather than choosing a specialist opener, Matthew Wade took one for the team and faced the new ball during Tests against India in Adelaide and Melbourne until Warner’s recovery.
The Tasmanian was dropped two matches later, never returning to the Test side.
Wade’s sacrifice could potentially serve as a cautionary tale for McSweeney, who is willing to bat anywhere if it meant he got to fulfil his childhood dream of becoming a Test cricketer — but opening could prove his poisoned chalice.
“As a kid, your dream is to play for Australia and get a baggy green,” McSweeney said.
“(The Australia A series) is a great opportunity, no doubt … all I can do is control my preparation and play the way I want to.
“Being talked about to play for your country is a great honour.
“I think I’m playing some really good cricket. I feel like my game’s progressing each year and hopefully I can continue to do that.
“There’s so many guys that are playing well. Hopefully we can make it a really hard job for the selectors.”
Australia A will face India A at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena from Thursday, with the first ball scheduled for 11am AEDT.
Originally published as Test hopeful Nathan McSweeney warned of opening difficulties
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