MELBOURNE (Web Desk) - Nathan McSweeney has been dropped from Australia's squad for the final two Tests against India with 19-year-old opening batter Sam Konstas earning his first call as the home side shake up the top order amid their struggles against Jasprit Bumrah.
Pace bowler Jhye Richardson has also been recalled to a Test squad for the first time in three years to provide further cover following the injury to Josh Hazlewood although Scott Boland is expected to come into the XI at the MCG.
While Konstas has been included on the back of a strong run of form since being overlooked at the start of the series it is not certain he will play on Boxing Day in Melbourne. Josh Inglis, who has been the spare batter during the series to date, remains part of the squad and could be an option if the selectors want to get creative with indications from chair of selectors George Bailey that they are keen for a greater tempo from the top order. Allrounder Beau Webster is also retained in the 15-player group.
But as a specialist opener there is now a strong chance that Konstas will debut in front of a crowd of more than 90,000 at the MCG. If he does play, it would be just his 12th first-class match, making him the fourth-youngest debutant for Australia in men's Tests, although he has been marked out as a future international player since his junior days.
"First and foremost, [want to] acknowledge that it's a tough call on Nathan, particularly after three Tests," Bailey told reporters. "We are constantly getting new information as you guys are... It's clearly been a challenge at the top of the order for both teams. Think Sam's method, his style, is different to Nathan's, different again to Beau's and Josh's, as the other batting options within that team, and we think they provide the options of a different look and a different make-up for the XI come Boxing Day."
Bailey delivered the news to both McSweeney and Konstas personally. "[It was a] really hard decision for Nathan and one that we spent a lot of time deliberating over," he said. "Particularly after a small sample size of three Tests… That's never a great phone call, is it? Nathan was disappointed and really the message to him was much the same as at the start of the series, that we believe he has the ability and temperament to succeed at Test level. But just given the way the series has played out, we just want the option of throwing something different at India for this next Test."
KONSTAS HITS FORM AT THE RIGHT TIME
Konstas started the season with twin centuries against South Australia, becoming the youngest to do so in the Sheffield Shield since Ricky Ponting, which put himself firmly in Test discussions, and has enjoyed a productive last three weeks which included a century against the Indians in Canberra, 88 in the Sheffield Shield against Western Australia and 27-ball 56 on BBL debut for Sydney Thunder.
He also made a composed 73 not out in the second innings against India A at the MCG in early November, shortly before McSweeney was announced as having won the selection race for the first Test.
McSweeney, who had never opened in professional cricket before this season, has made 72 runs at 14.40 in the first three Tests. He scored an important 39 in the first innings in Adelaide to help negotiate a challenging session against the pink ball under lights but his record against Bumrah is four dismissals for just 15 runs in 66 deliveries. In the second innings at the Gabba, where Australia attempted to set up a game, he laboured to 4 off 25 balls before edging a wide delivery from Akash Deep.
However, McSweeney has not been alone in his struggles with Usman Khawaja averaging 12.60 in the series and Marnus Labuschagne 16.40 despite a half-century in Adelaide.
"In the lead-up to the series, he was performing incredibly well," Bailey said. "Think the key around that was the way he plays, we believe [that] doesn't change too much wherever he's coming in in the order. It hasn't quite worked out as you'd like it to at the start, but it's still very much the start of his career.
"You can say the way our top three are playing has been reasonably similar and we'd like the ability to throw something different at India off the back of that. If you look more broadly, I don't necessarily think the top six [were] as quite functioned to the level that we need in this series as a whole."
After the Brisbane Test, captain Pat Cummins, who isn't on the selection panel, praised the role McSweeney had played but acknowledged the lack of output from the top order.
"I've been really impressed with the way he's gone about it," he said. "Even today, someone starting out his career still being selfless enough to go out there and try to play shots rather than try and preserve and get a score. Obviously, they [the top three] would be hoping to score more runs, we'd like them to score more runs, but I think they have made some important contributions that others have benefited from."
RICHARDSON ENDS LONG WAIT FOR RECALL
While the Konstas-McSweeney swap will take much of the attention, the recall for Richardson is also significant after his run of injuries. He has been limited to just three Test matches since debuting against Sri Lanka in January 2019, with the last being a pink-ball game in Adelaide in 2021 when he took his maiden Test five-wicket haul against England.
But Richardson has been bowling without interruption since his return in this year's IPL and his improved fitness saw him return to first-class cricket earlier than expected. He had match figures of 4 for 85 from 29 overs against South Australia in the Shield, albeit there was a brief injury scare when hurt his shoulder celebrating, following four One-Day Cup matches and a couple of second XI games for Western Australia.
Brendan Doggett, who was called in as cover when Hazlewood was first injured in Perth, does not make this squad but Sean Abbott is retained.
The call to drop McSweeney comes just a few days after former Australia coach Darren Lehmann said he believes Bailey is too close to the players and unable to make tough decisions, something Cummins strongly hit back at.
"I don't know how that [criticism] can be true," Cummins said. "There is so much more to picking a side than just looking at the internet. Going on with really strong philosophies, working with players.
"The most important thing is you do stay objective and I think the selection panel are amazing at that. They've made some really bold calls over the past couple of years in all formats. Probably bolder than I have seen other selectors make in previous years. They've never shied away from a tough decision."
Australia squad for Melbourne and Sydney Tests vs India
Pat Cummins (capt), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster