‘Gone to a new level’: McSweeney fires as potential Test openers flop

Former Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris says batsman Nathan McSweeney is ready for Test selection, as the Australia A captain enhanced his prospects with an unbeaten knock against India A on Saturday.

McSweeney has given the national selectors much to think about after the three specialist opening batsmen in line to partner Usman Khawaja in this month’s first Test against India all failed at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay.

Batting at No.4, McSweeney went to stumps on day three unbeaten on 47 (98 balls, five boundaries), with his team needing 86 runs to win. Following on from his 39 (131 balls) in the first innings, his compact technique to pace and spin and willingness to punish a bad ball was on show in front of on-duty national selector Tony Dodemaide.

McSweeney, batting at No.4 in this match but typically at No.3 for South Australia where he is now captain, has been backed to open for Australia, should the opportunity arise. He had made a strong start to the first-class season, with scores of 55, 127 not out, 37 and 72, building on his team-high 762 runs at 40.10 last summer.

Harris, the former Australian spearhead and now Redbacks coach, said McSweeney had the ingredients required for Test success.

“Nathan has been excellent in leading our squad. His calmness, understanding of each player and the respect that the squad shows him has been good to see,” Harris said, speaking before the Australia A clash.

Nathan McSweeney in action for Australia A.Credit: Getty Images

“His batting has gone to a new level. He works very hard on his craft. He is definitely ready for a shot at Test cricket.”

The national selectors had hoped to have an in-form specialist opener join the veteran Khawaja in the series opener against India in Perth from November 22, but that thought is quickly slipping away after teenage prodigy Sam Konstas (16 off 33 balls) and recycled Test openers Marcus Harris (36 off 82) and Cameron Bancroft (16 off 43) – the latter batting at No.3 – had second-innings disappointment.

Each had failed to deliver in the first innings. Konstas and Bancroft each fell without scoring in the first innings, while Harris made 17.

Konstas was building momentum on Saturday before he shouldered arms to an angled delivery from fast bowler Mukesh Kumar and had his off stump knocked out of the ground. He looked back at his stumps in disbelief at what had just transpired, a sign of a confused mind, as his hopes of playing in the series opener against India took a major hit.

Since back-to-back centuries for NSW against South Australia to open the Sheffield Shield season, Konstas’ form has tapered off.

Harris was in good touch – his driving down the ground and through the covers was excellent – and he appeared set for a half-century, which could have been enough to rubber-stamp a Test recall. But that slipped away when he lunged forward to left-arm finger spinner Manav Suthar and was caught behind off a faint edge.

However, it was an improvement on the first innings when, having been dropped on eight, he fell in familiar fashion when he nicked off and was caught at slip.

Bancroft, the standout opener in domestic cricket over the past two years, has been in terrible form this season.

A 14-ball duck in the first innings of this clash left him with only 10 runs across five first-class innings in October, and he was fortunate to survive on four on Saturday when caught off a no ball. Still, he looked to be building momentum, despite the tourists typically targeting his front pad, but his afternoon ended when a delivery from fast bowler Prasidh Krishna reared at him, and he gloved a simple catch to gully.

Konstas’ hopes of featuring in the five-Test series were not enhanced by comments from national coach and selector Andrew McDonald this week, who pointed out the emerging star, with only six first-class games to his credit, had “limited experience in Perth, pink-ball games, and then [we are] off to the Gabba”. However, McDonald said Konstas was a fast learner.

Former Australia coach and selector Justin Langer went into bat for Bancroft, 32, before the A game, declaring his fellow Sandgroper deserved another chance to add to his 10 Tests, where he averages an uninspiring 26.23. In a column with The West Australian, Langer said Harris had claims but “he is not as good a fielder as Bancroft and bats half of the season at the flat Junction Oval, which isn’t his fault”.

Langer said Konstas has an excellent technique, for he “stands” at the crease and has an appetite for runs. But he said the selectors must decide if, at 19, this is the right time for Konstas, or whether his time will be when Khawaja, 38, steps aside.

Harris, 32, averages even less than Bancroft at Test level (25.29), and has a top score of 79 in his 14 appearances.

McDonald said this week that the selectors won’t make a final call on the Test squad until after the second A game against India concludes in Melbourne on November 10.

Earlier on day three, India A were dismissed for 312 in their second innings, losing eight wickets in an extended morning session, setting Australia A 225 to win. Paceman Fergus O’Neill (4-55 off 24 overs) and off-spinner Todd Murphy (3-77 off 28) were the pick of the bowlers.

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.