IND vs AUS, 1st Test: Openers around the country can only blame themselves for Nathan McSweeney’s selection, says Tim Paine | Cricket News
Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine didn’t minced his words against Matt Renshaw, who has shown disappointment over Nathan McSweeney’s selection for the Border-Gavaskar Test series, starting from November 22 at Perth.
Paine suggests other openers such Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw, Sam Konstas, and Marcus Harris should have scored runs in the early part of the Shield season. Renshaw in particular started his campaign with scores of 6, 15, 2, 21 and 25 before scoring century against Tasmania.
“He’s a lovely man, ‘Renners’, and it’s great to see him back in form, but the openers around the country can only blame themselves for Nathan McSweeney being given the opportunity,” Paine told SEN Tassie.
“Isn’t it a fascinating mental game though? As soon as that team is named, even in one game here, you have two openers come out smack huge hundreds.”
Renshaw in his interview had said that Nathan McSweeney’s selection, who bats at No 3 for South Australia, might hurt a lot of top-order Sheffield Shield batters.
“It feels like every summer there is a circus about something, and it is usually about the openers because Australian cricket wants another opener,” Renshaw told the AAP
“I am really happy for Nathan. I think he is going to do a terrific job but for us openers, I think (the decision) last week might have hurt a lot of us.
“We know how tough opening is and the satisfaction of batting for a long period of time is why we do the job, facing the toughest bowlers with a brand-new ball at their freshest.”
