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Nathan McSweeney has been dropped from the Australian squad for the upcoming Boxing Day Test against India. The 25-year-old opener struggled to make an impact during his debut series, scoring above 10 only once in six innings.
McSweeney has been excluded from the team for the crucial fourth Test. His position has been under scrutiny after scores of nine, four, 39, an unbeaten 10, 10, and a duck in his first Test series.
Sam Konstas, a promising young talent, has earned a maiden Test call-up. However, his inclusion doesn’t guarantee a spot in the final playing XI. Josh Inglis is another contender for a spot in the team.
Konstas has been making a strong case for inclusion with his impressive domestic form.
The 19-year-old boasts an average of 55.83 this summer. He grabbed attention in October by becoming the youngest player since Ricky Ponting to score twin centuries in a Sheffield Shield match. Konstas’s potential inclusion followed a “bat-off” involving Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and McSweeney.
The competition was for the top-order spot that became available before the India series. McSweeney initially won the spot, despite lacking prior experience as a first-class opener. He subsequently partnered with Khawaja at the top of the order.
McSweeney’s debut series saw him thrust into the opening role against Jasprit Bumrah, considered one of the world’s premier bowlers.
Despite his inexperience as an opener at the first-class level, McSweeney partnered with Usman Khawaja at the top of the order. His scores of nine and four in the Perth Test were followed by 39 and an unbeaten 10 in the Adelaide day-night Test.
However, scores of 10 and a duck in the Brisbane Test prompted selectors to reconsider their options.
Khawaja’s form is also under the microscope. He hasn’t reached a half-century in his last 11 Test innings.
Khawaja’s series average of 12.6 is the lowest for an Australian opener in a home Test series of at least three matches since Matthew Elliott’s 1997 series against South Africa.
As expected, Scott Boland has replaced the injured Josh Hazlewood in the fast bowling department. Hazlewood had picked up a niggle during the India innings and scans revealed a calf strain. It has ruled him out of the entire series.
Chairman of selectors George Bailey said: “The squad provides options as to how we structure the XI for the final two Tests of the series.
“Sam gets a call up to the Test squad for the first time. His style of batting offers a point of difference and we look forward to watching his game develop further.
“We remain confident Nathan has the ability and temperament to succeed at Test level in the future. It was a difficult decision to leave him out.
“It has clearly been a challenge at the top of the order for batters throughout the series and we want to provide the option of a different line up for the next two matches.
“In the absence of Josh Hazlewood, Jhye provides further options in the fast bowling space. It has been pleasing to see his successful return throughout the early part of the domestic summer.”
With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tied at 1-1, a place in the World Test Championship standings is on the line with both India and Australia tussling for the spot alongside South Africa.
Australia squad for the fourth Test: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.
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