Australia A v India A: Nathan McSweeney takes charge after Australia’s other opening batsmen contenders disappoint
Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney has surged to the front of the queue to partner Usman Khawaja in the first Test against India after a day where the leading options disappointed.
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The battle for the right to represent Australia during this summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy hasn’t got off to the ideal start in Mackay, but two batsmen have emerged as the strongest contenders for a spot at the top of the order.
Australia A’s Marcus Harris and Nathan McSweeney have been the strongest performers in their tour match against India A, with the Aussies closing in on victory ahead of the fourth and final day.
ANALYSIS: WHY MARNUS IS ANSWER TO AUSSIE OPENING ISSUES
Harris departed for 36 in the second innings after making 17 in the first, while McSweeney backed up a patient 39 by closing in on a half-century in the second innings, not out on 47 at stumps.
While he survived a few very tight LBW shouts, the ‘A’ team skipper was the first of the Test hopefuls to make the most of a positive start.
Fast bowler Fergus O’Neill, however, threw his support behind Victorian teammate Harris.
“Obviously I’ve got the bias toward Marcus Harris, he’s been doing it for a long time and he’s got the experience,” O’Neill said.
“I hope (the selectors) go the way of ‘Harry’ that’s my personal bias and opinion, but McSweeney has batted very well and ‘Sammy’ is young and with a lot of upside, and it’s hard to look past ‘Bangas’.
“You can make a case for all four of them and I’m sure everyone from their respective states will be making a case for their own. I’m siding with ‘Harry’ but I know whoever they pick is going to do their country proud.”
It comes after the Australians produced a significant turnaround in the first half of the day, as Indian batsmen Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal returned to the crease.
While Sudharsan, who was not out on 96 at stumps, did make it to three figures, from that point onward it was one-way traffic in Australia’s direction, as they took 8-84 to bowl India out for 312.
Todd Murphy and Fergus O’Neill were the key figures in the green and gold fightback, with Murphy dismissing both overnight batsmen in back-to-back overs.
From there it was O’Neill who took charge, rumbling through India’s middle and lower order with the second new ball, with a bit of assistance from first innings hero Brendan Doggett who kicked things off.
Set a target of 225 for victory, the opportunity was there for Aussie openers Harris and Sam Konstas to put in a really solid partnership.
Cam Bancroft's Test audition has has ended cheaply with a duck and 16. 😬
— CODE Sports (@codesportsau) November 2, 2024
Marcus Harris also fails to capitalise on starts.
Konstas, Bancroft and Harris all fail to impress.
MORE: https://t.co/183IV7YdCvpic.twitter.com/C0kzh9m8Mu
However, while he got off the mark with a dazzling pull shot and played a number of handsome drives, Konstas came unstuck as he shouldered arms to a Mukesh Kumar delivery that ripped his off stump out of the ground.
Konstas’ departure for 16 handed the keys to Bancroft, who, after surviving an edge to slip on a no-ball, was brought unstuck by Prasidh Krishna who got one to rear up off a length, catching Bancroft’s glove as it ballooned to gully.
With Bancroft leaving, also for 16, Australia A skipper McSweeney was the next man up, and he took full advantage with a much more aggressive innings this time around.
The question for the selectors at this point comes down to whether they value the experience of Harris, who has never quite made it work at the top level, or if they go with the younger McSweeney who is not a specialist opener at state level.
The umpires called time on day three with 3.3 overs still required, as bad light forced the game to come to a halt.
Australia A needs a further 87 runs to win with seven wickets in hand.
EARLIER DAY 3 UPDATES
4.40PM:
Marcus Harris has failed to truly capitalise on another positive start for Australia A, nicking off to Indian spinner Manav Suthar for 36.
Harris had looked well settled through the latter half of his innings after a few nervous moments, before Suthar got one to go straight on as Harris played for spin, and keeper Ishan Kishan did the rest.
4.20PM:
Another Test hopeful has fallen for 16, with Bancroft joining Australia A teammate Sam Konstas in the sheds for an identical score.
Prasidh Krishna got the final ball of his fifth over to rear up off a length, catching Bancroft’s glove, and it ballooned up for a simple catch at gully.
It leaves Marcus Harris (not out on 29) and new batsman Nathan McSweeney as the last two Aussies with a chance to push for Test selection before their second tour match in Melbourne.
4.00PM:
Aussie Test hopefuls Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft have survived until the tea break in Australia A’s run chase, currently on 27 and 15 respectively.
Their innings haven’t been without their moments, with Bancroft caught at first slip on a no-ball, while a mistimed pull shot from Harris was fortunate to land safely.
The veteran duo will now look to press on in the final couple of hours to steer the Aussies to victory and each push their case for a recall into the Test team.
3.20PM:
Cameron Bancroft has been given a life after he edged one straight to first slip, with the catch taken but the umpire calling it a no ball.
The reprieve for Bancroft will allow him to continue at eight not out, but he’ll see it as a deserved second chance after he was given out for a ball that came off his thigh guard in the first innings.
Meanwhile, batting partner Marcus Harris has moved to 13 as the pair look to each make their case for a Test recall.
2.45PM:
Sam Konstas’ strong start to his second innings has been cut abruptly short on just 16, as he shouldered arms to a Mukesh Kumar delivery that cannoned into off stump, sending it cartwheeling out of the ground.
After his third-ball duck in the first innings, Konstas appeared to be well on the way to a strong total in the second innings, playing a number of handsome cover drives for runs as recently as the ball prior.
However, he inexplicably allowed a Kumar delivery to lift his off stump out of the ground, and with it potentially torpedoing his hopes of a Test call up later this month.
2.15PM:
Sam Konstas has avoided a first-class pair, pulling out a dashing pull shot in the second over of Australia A’s run chase to send Prasidh Krishna to the boundary for four.
The NSW youngster will hope that shot serves as the benchmark for a strong second innings performance as the Aussies search for their new opening batsman.
The battle for the opening batsman spot in the Australian line-up is well and truly back on. Konstas, Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Nathan McSweeney have been presented with another golden opportunity to stake their claim to take the position alongside Usman Khawaja.
1:25PM:
Todd Murphy has secured his third wicket of the innings as Australia A bowled India A out for 312 in exactly 100 overs.
Murphy, who played a critical role in removing both of India’s top scorers for the match, had Mukesh Kumar caught at long on for a 12-ball duck. It sets up a compelling fourth innings run chase for the Aussies, who have been set 225 runs for victory.
Fergus O’Neill finishing with 4-55 from 24 overs as cleaned up the India A tail.
1:10PM
Fergus O’Neill has struck on the very last ball before the lunch break, prompting a half-hour extension to the first session.
The Aussie quick bowler had Prasidh Krishna caught behind for a six-ball duck, meaning India A is now nine wickets down prompting standard half-hour delay whenever there is one wicket remaining in an innings.
12:55PM:
Unperturbed by being hoisted for a monster six down the ground, Fergus O’Neill came straight back with his next ball to clean bowl Manav Suthar.
Suthar’s lone scoring shot for the innings was his maximum over long off, with O’Neill getting his own back just moments later.
O’Neill, after picking up just the one wicket in the first dig, now has 3/54 from 21 overs with 6 maidens.
12:50PM:
Australia A is closing in on finishing up India A’s second innings, with Fergus O’Neill and Beau Webster both picking up wickets in short succession.
O’Neill had Ishan Kishan caught in the slips by Cameron Bancroft for 32, before Webster secured a sharp caught and bowled opportunity off a full toss to Nitish Kumar Reddy, gone for 17.
It means after India got themselves back in the game with a monster partnership on day two, they’ve lost 5/61 beginning with Sai Sudharsan’s dismissal early this morning.
12:20PM:
Australia A fast bowler Jordan Buckingham has sustained a suspected side strain which will rule him out for the remainder of their first tour match against India A in Mackay.
Buckingham reportedly suffered the injury late on day two, with the team confirming that he will not bowl again in this match.Buckingham will be assessed further over the coming days, with further updates set to be made in the coming days.
Buckingham’s absence from the bowling lineup will see fellow quicks Fergus O’Neill and Brendan Doggett, along with spin options Todd Murphy, Cooper Connolly and medium pacer Beau Webster take on a greater workload for the remainder of the match.
12:00PM: Australia A skipper Nathan McSweeney’s change to the bowlers’ pecking order has had an immediate impact, with Brendan Doggett producing a wicket in the first over of his spell with the new ball.
Doggett, who had been the first-change seamer up to this point, was handed the fresh cherry as Jordan Buckingham is currently not available to bowl.
The Aussies certainly won’t be complaining about the adjustment as Doggett rapped Baba Indrajith on the pads square in front of the stumps, with the umpire honouring Australia’s appeal and sending the Indian packing for six.
11:40AM: Australia A off-spinner Todd Murphy has single-handedly dragged the Aussies back into this contest, following up his dismissal of Sai Sudharsan by trapping Devdutt Padikkal plumb in front for 88.
The Victorian has struck in back to back overs, and while there was a bit of luck involved in his dismissal of Sudharsan as he chopped on a wider delivery, there was nothing lucky about the second dismissal.
He cramped up India’s number four batsman and kept him back on the crease, with the ball destined to go on to hit middle and leg in the opinion of the umpire.
With two fresh batsmen at the crease, this could prove to be a turning point in the match if the Aussies can capitalise.
11.30AM: At long last some joy for the Aussies, as Todd Murphy gets Sai Sudharsan to chop one back onto his stumps.
The dismissal breaks the 196-run partnership between Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, and the departing number three will surely be disappointed he has nonetheless put on a masterful performance.
Murphy tempted Sudharsan into an expansive drive, and was able to catch the inside edge and see the ball careering into the stumps, with the century-maker out for 103.
11.15AM: INDIAN YOUNG GUN POSTS CENTURY EARLY ON DAY THREE
The overnight jitters don’t seem to have bothered Sai Sudharsan at all, with the India A’s first drop batsman – who was not out on 96 at stumps yesterday – has brought up his ton in the fourth over of day three.
Sudharsan, who is in the midst of a 185-run partnership with Devdutt Paddikal, had a subdued celebration when he crossed three figures, acknowledging his teammates and staff on the sidelines and a few of the fans in the building before getting back to work.
Unless something changes soon for the Aussies, we could have another century maker on our hands as Paddikal moves through the 80s.
Originally published as Australia A v India A: Nathan McSweeney takes charge after Australia’s other opening batsmen contenders disappoint
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