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Australia has made a significant change to their squad for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, dropping opener Nathan McSweeney and calling up 19-year-old Sam Konstas. The young New South Wales opener is set to make his Test debut after a string of impressive domestic performances.
McSweeney, who was chosen to fill the void left by David Warner at the start of the series, struggled to make an impact. Across three Tests, McSweeney’s highest score was an unbeaten 39, with an average of 12.8 in six innings.
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Sam Konstas’ Red-Hot Form
Konstas, touted as one of Australia’s rising stars, has earned his spot after a series of standout performances:
- 73 against India A* in November.
- A brilliant 107 for the Prime Minister’s XI in a pink-ball warm-up game.
- An 88 in the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales earlier this month.
- A blistering 27-ball 56 for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League just days ago.
“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,” said George Bailey, Chair of Selectors.
Selectors Back McSweeney for the Future
Despite McSweeney’s omission, Bailey expressed confidence in the opener’s potential at the international level.
“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 lineup for the next two matches,” Bailey said.
Changes in the Bowling Attack
Australia has also revamped their bowling squad following the unavailability of Josh Hazlewood, who has been ruled out due to injury. Sean Abbott and Beau Webster have been recalled, while Jhye Richardson joins the squad to bolster the pace attack.
“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,” Bailey noted.
What’s Next for Australia?
The revamped squad reflects Australia’s desire to turn things around in the final two matches of the Border-Gavaskar series. With Konstas’ aggressive and fresh approach, along with new faces in the bowling unit, the Australians will hope for a resurgence against a strong Indian side.
The next Test is set to begin on December 26, with the Australians eager to bounce back and finish the series on a high.
