Top-order woes force Aussies to make big changes ahead of Boxing Day Test
MELBOURNE: There seems to be little cheer in the Aussie camp ahead of the Christmas weekend. After making all the right noises in support of their new opener, the George Bailey-led selection committee has made an about-turn and dropped the struggling Nathan McSweeney for the remainder of the series.
McSweeney’s continuing troubles against Jasprit Bumrah meant a call-up for 19-year-old Sam Konstas, who will now shoulder the team’s opening burden at a crucial stage in the series. The other senior under-performing opener, Usman Khawaja, retains his place for now.
Bailey cited “the need to throw something different at India” and Konstas, if he opens at the MCG, will get the chance to show he has the steel for the top rung after having been in fine form this season.
The New South Wales opener was overlooked at the start of the series in spite of becoming the youngest player since Ricky Ponting to hit twin tons in a Sheffield Shield game-152 and 105 against South Australia in Sydney in Oct. He also scored a 107 for the PM’s XI in the tour game against the Indians and an 88 against Western Australia earlier this month while averaging 55.83 this season.
Konstas will become the fourth-youngest debutant for Australia in Tests if he gets a game at the MCG. Josh Inglis and Beau Webster have also been retained in the squad as reserve batters.
“I acknowledge that it’s a tough call on Nathan,” Bailey said on Friday. “It’s been a challenge at the top of the order for both teams. I think Sam’s method, his style, is different to Nathan’s, providing the option of a different look and a different make-up for the XI come Boxing Day. We’d like the ability to throw something different at India.”
Standing in the path of Australia’s newest batting sensation will be Bumrah, who dismissed the 25-year-old McSweeney four out of six times in the series.
McSweeney can be said to have got a raw deal, since he was thrust into the role of Test opener and had not opened at first-class level before this season. He now leaves with an average of 14.40 from three Tests, with the crucial 39 in Adelaide as his highest, but he hasn’t been the only one struggling in the top order across both teams. The 38-year-old Khawaja has even less runs, averaging 12.6 with a highest of 21 in the first innings in Brisbane, and looked equally at sea against Bumrah.
Jhye Richardson, meanwhile, has earned a recall in place of the injured Josh Hazlewood, though Scott Boland is expected to walk into the XI in the fourth Test. Speedster Sean Abbott is also back in the squad.
Since David Warner’s retirement, Khawaja has been paired with makeshift openers Steve Smith and McSweeney with little success. Australia’s openers have contributed 243 runs at an average of 22 from 14 innings since saying goodbye to Warner, meaning Konstas has to now shoulder some big responsibilities on his teen shoulders.
SQUAD: Pat Cummins (C), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
