Nathan McSweeney has become the latest Australian Test hopeful to falter in his push for the top-order vacancy, denied a half-century in Australia A’s first match with India A.

After rivals for selection Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris failed on day one, the stage appeared set for dark horse McSweeney to stake his claim in Mackay.

In at number four, the in-form South Australia captain had anchored the innings with a patient display, building intrigue as to his potential for a shift to the top of the Test order against India.

But McSweeney lasted less than an hour on Friday before clipping Nitish Kumar Reddy to gully after Cooper Connolly (37 from 60 balls) and Josh Philippe (4) fell in quick succession.

McSweeney’s 39 from 131 balls was nevertheless the top score on a deck that gave both sides grief in their first innings.

Former Test spinner Todd Murphy threatened to embarrass his top-order teammates by posting the most runs for Australia, despite averaging only 14.86 in first-class cricket before this week.

Murphy (33 from 47 balls) came in at number nine and bludgeoned the only six of the innings, over deep backward square leg, as he flagged his aggressive intentions at the death.

But the 23-year-old holed out to mid-off to end Australia A’s innings with the hosts — 195 all out — 88 runs ahead of India A (107).

Murphy had become Mukesh Kumar’s final victim as the paceman ended the pick of India A’s bowlers with an impressive 6-46.

A travelling reserve for the Border-Gavaskar trophy, Kumar set carnage in motion on day two by dismissing Connolly following the young West Australian’s positive start.

Connolly (37 from 60) had notably clubbed Test hopeful Prasidh Krishna for four on three occasions in the same over before Kumar had him caught at square leg.

Sai Sudharsan (96no) and Devdutt Padikkal (80no) partnered to put India A (2-208) ahead by 120 runs at stumps on day two, but neither man is in the Test squad for the five-match series beginning in Perth on November 22.

Australia A paceman Jordan Buckingham grabbed the highlight of the day in running out Abhimanyu Easwaran (12) with a direct hit from mid-on.

The bullet-like throw consigned the visitors to 2-30 before Sudharsan and Padikkal embarked on an unbeaten 178-run stand.

Both Easwaran and Ruturaj Gaikwad (5) were again out cheaply as they jostle to replace India opener Rohit Sharma, who looks set to miss the first Test for personal reasons.

Australia A injected Connolly’s part-time spin into the attack after tea as they searched in vain for a breakthrough late on day two.

Fairytale ton eludes Patterson on return to Shield

Kurtis Patterson has come up just short of a fairytale century returning from the first-class wilderness on day one of NSW’s Sheffield Shield clash against Queensland.

The former Test batter’s comeback was followed by ominous signs from Josh Hazlewood, who bowled his first red-ball overs of the season as Queensland posted 0-36 in reply to the Blues’ 239 on day one.

Patterson had begun the summer playing grade cricket for St George after form concerns cost him the NSW captaincy and pushed him to the fringes of the Blues set-up over the past 18 months.

But Konstas and Josh Philippe’s secondment to Australia A opened up a spot for Patterson to return for just his second Shield match in a year.

Patterson (91 runs from 162 balls) came to the crease after NSW elected to bat first but stammered to 2-12 inside two overs at Cricket Central on Friday.

Teammates fell around Patterson as the Blues struggled to 5-59 inside the first session, before the 31-year-old partnered with Jack Edwards on a rescue mission.

Patterson hit Queensland captain Mitch Swepson to mid-on to bring up his half-century early in the second session, before all-rounder Edwards did the same off Benji Floros from only 77 deliveries.

After a slower start, Patterson picked up his pace en route to the nervous 90s before edging Angus Lovell to wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson.

Patterson cut a frustrated figure as he left the crease, as did Edwards (88 off 154) when he was ruled to have clipped Swepson to the gloveman.

Still, Patterson’s score was his highest in first-class cricket since October 2022.

Out of favour for the Test vacancy, Matthew Renshaw was made to weather an early Hazlewood onslaught after Queensland made it to the crease late in the day.

NSW appealed twice as Test paceman Hazlewood opened the bowling with a maiden over.

Hazlewood posted 0-13 from five overs on the first day of his only red-ball game before the Test series against India begins on November 22.

Renshaw (14) and Usman Khawaja (19) will resume on day two.