Nathan McSweeney’s dismissal from the Test team ahead of the Boxing Day match at the MCG, following three games in the national setup, marks the conclusion of another unsuccessful experiment with an opening batsman. McSweeney faced one of the toughest introductions to Test cricket in the modern era, being tasked with tackling Jasprit Bumrah and the swinging Kookaburra ball, despite never having opened the batting at the state level.
The Indian seamer dismissed him four times, averaging just 3.75 runs per innings, which made for one-sided encounters—like a lamb to the slaughter. This week, former England captain Michael Vaughan stated on Fox Cricket, “I think McSweeney is the player who has had the hardest start to their career. There aren’t many more difficult beginnings to a Test career than the conditions he’s faced as an opener and the bowlers he’s up against.” Sam Konstas, a young player from NSW, has been selected for the Australian team for the remaining two Test matches and is the frontrunner to take McSweeney’s place at the top of the order.
The Test team also includes West Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis and Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster, who could potentially play in the middle order or open alongside the underperforming Marnus Labuschagne. It has been 18 months since McSweeney indicated that the New Year Test against Pakistan would be his last, but national selectors still have not found a long-term replacement. His tentative suggestion to come out of retirement now seems less unrealistic.
Steve Smith stepped in as opener for the Frank Worrell Trophy and Trans-Tasman Trophy after the veteran retired but relinquished the position following a series of poor results in New Zealand. National selectors maintained their strategy of choosing the six best batsmen rather than specialized openers, opting for McSweeney over Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft after weeks of speculation about Smith’s successor prior to the Border-Gavaskar series.
The decision to drop McSweeney could indeed be the right one. Konstas has shown excellent form recently, scoring a century against India in the Prime Minister’s XI match in Canberra and achieving a record-breaking half-century in the Sydney Thunder’s Big Bash League season opener. George Bailey, the chief selector, refrained from admitting that the choice to use McSweeney as an opener was a mistake. “It was a very difficult decision that we took a long time to consider, especially after only three Tests,” Bailey told reporters on Friday.
Nathan felt let down, receiving similar feedback to what he heard at the start of the series. “We believe he has the skills and attitude to be successful at the Test level, but given how the series has gone, we would like to explore something new against India in the upcoming Test,” Bailey stated. “It hasn’t gone as well as you would have hoped. However, his career is just beginning.” Australia has a regrettable history of misfiring attempts to use middle-order hitters as openers in an effort to maintain squad balance. An example includes one-day captain Aaron Finch, who was moved to open after David Warner was suspended following the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal.
Finch was dropped from the Test team just three games into the 2018–19 season after being outperformed by India’s pace attack. In the 2020–21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Matthew Wade was promoted to opener two years later to cover for an injured Warner, but he struggled in the new role and was dropped after the series ended, never to return. Australia has repeatedly attempted to fill Warner’s position with middle-order specialists, but each attempt has failed.
McSweeney’s performance, scoring just 72 runs at an average of 14.40 against India, has been criticized as contributing to Australia’s weak top order. Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, despite their own struggles—averaging 12.60 and 16.40, respectively—have earned some merit for their roles in Australia’s victory at the World Test Championship last year.
If the summer had been less critical or if they were facing a less formidable opponent, McSweeney might have had more time to adjust. With two games left in the series tied at one, India needs only one more win to secure the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. “You could argue that our top three players have been performing in a fairly similar manner, and we would like to introduce something different against India,” Bailey added. “Overall, I don’t believe the top six have performed to the standard we expect this season.
We believe they give the team a different look and makeup on Boxing Day.” The opening ball of the fourth Test match between Australia and India is scheduled for 10:30 AM AEDT on Thursday at the MCG.
