Border-Gavaskar Trophy: ‘It’s a tough ask, and I would prefer a special opener’ — Michael Hussey on Nathan McSweeney’s inclusion | Cricket News

With the Australian selectors naming 25-year-old Nathan McSweeney in the 13-member Australian squad for the first Test match of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting November 22, former Test batsman Michael Hussey has voiced his reservation about the debutant batsman as an opener. While McSweeney opened for the first time in his First Class career during the second unofficial Test against India A for Australia A, Hussey terms the decision as a tough ask.
“I think it’s a tough ask to ask him to play his first Test match as an opening batsman against India in a huge series when he hasn’t opened before in first class cricket apart from last week in the India A clash. It’s not easy at all. I know people will say Simon Katich and Shane Watson have done it in the past. They moved from the middle-order up to the top order, but they played 20-30 Test matches before they made the move,” Hussey said on Fox Cricket while commentating in the third Australia-Pakan ODI.
McSweeney, who was tipped to be Usman Khwaja’s opening partner since days, has a First Class average of 38.16 in 34 matches. He opened against India A in the second unofficial Test at Melbourne earlier this week and played knocks of 14 and 25 in the match. With Marcus Harris, Cam Bancroft and Sam Kontas too in contention for the opening slot, it was McSweeney who was picked the Australian selectors led George Bailey for the opening Test match against India. “It’s a tough ask and, personally, I would prefer a special opener, but I think the Australian selectors’ philosophy is picking the best six batters in the country, and then we’ll figure the order out after that. They may not play him at the top of the order. Marnus Labuschagne may move up. Maybe they haven’t made up their mind exactly what their order is at this stage. They have just decided these are our six best batters, and now we’ll figure out where they sit best,” Hussey stated further.
McSweeney will become the 467th Australian to don the Baggy Green during his debut against India. The selectors also named wicket-keeper batsman Josh Inglis. With Alex Carey too in the 13-member squad, former Australian opener Adam Gilchr counted the move as an untraditional one. “Inglis is in that squad as a reserve batter, which isn’t traditionally what Australia does in home conditions. I think McSweeney will open … but do they stick with the policy they had last year where we want our six best batters in Australia playing in the top six? Josh Inglis at the moment is in the six best batters in Australia. Do they break away from that policy? I think they will.” Gilchr said on Fox Cricket on Sunday.
McSweeney meanwhile sounded confident about the opener’s role. “Other than walk out one position earlier than I normally do, my prep is the exact same. I faced the first ball in both innings out here (at the MCG), so I’m comfortable with that. I trained with the new ball batting at three, and you can be in there in the first over of the game.” The batsman told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.