Australia A bat-off leaves more questions than answers

by Admin
November 9, 2024

It was billed as the bat-off to end Australia’s opener debate, but while Nathan McSweeney looks likely to become Australia’s newest Test batter, it’s really just left us with more questions.

There’s no doubt watching McSweeney, Marcus Harris, Cam Bancroft and 19-year-old Sam Konstas compete to earn the vacant top-order slot against India has added welcome drama to an already mouthwatering summer.

But it has once again exposed the lack of depth in talent and the lack of faith from selectors.

In reality, this debate dates back 12 months to David Warner’s farewell tour.

Regardless of how you feel about Warner, his on-field achievements earned him a fitting send-off.

And it also should have given selectors the time they needed to identify his replacement.

Instead, they gave every domestic opener in the country what can only be perceived as a massive finger, opting to unsuccessfully give the role to an aging Steve Smith.

Bancroft was making runs for fun and had been for three seasons; Harris was peeling off hundreds.

Given they faced games against West Indies before New Zealand, they could have made a score and been away on the international scene.

Just remember how many chances Usman Khawaja had before becoming the batter he is now.

So after that, is it really a shock that when selectors finally decided to give them a shot 12 months later, they struggled to recapture their form?

Finding peace with having your dreams all but come to an end only to have the carrot dangled in front of you again, it’s tough to imagine how much pressure that creates.

Fortunately, McSweeney and Konstas are young and still in their first seasons as full-time pros.

But whether they have earned being in the discussion is up for debate.

The fact it took one match of twin hundreds for Konstas to be in the selection picture proves both the lack of faith and depth.

He has played just seven matches for an average of 39.41, but it was just over 50 one match before that when he scored the hundreds and in the 20s the game before that.

And he looked out of his depth against India A before a last-innings unbeaten 74.

Sam Konstas of Australia A raises his bat after scoring 50 runs. Credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

McSweeney, on the other hand, has been playing a vital role in revitalising South Australian cricket, leading the team from first drop and building a respectable 2213 runs at 38.82 with six centuries.

And there really are no other names to throw in the ring at the moment.

McSweeney has been the only one to make any substantial runs against an India A attack that is well below the level of the country’s stars.

But even he has had to grind and make the most of fortunate edges with no one being capable of taking the attack to the Indians like Warner loved to do.

Add to that the incompetence even the Test regulars have shown against actual fast bowling, such as the mid-140s Jasprit Bumrah will be firing down in the West Test, in the last 12 months, highlighted by the ODI’s against Pakistan this month, and there’s no doubt Australia are set for a tough rebuild when the current generation call time.