Australian debutant Nathan McSweeney feels confident he can handle the transition to opening despite his lack of experience occupying the “hardest job in the game”.

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It’s been 47 years since an Australian debutant opened the batting without having done so at Sheffield Shield level, but McSweeney has been handed the responsibility of taking on India’s world-class pace attack on a bouncy deck at Perth Stadium — a venue where he’s never played first-class cricket.

The 25-year-old opened the batting during this month’s Australia A match against India A at the MCG, notching scores of 14 and 25 — it remains the only occasion he’s faced the new ball at first-class level.

McSweeney has spent most of his professional career in the middle order — he averages 30.86 at first drop in first-class cricket, including one century in 15 knocks, while that figure jumps to 44.06 at No. 4 and 57.20 at No. 5.

He’s walked out to bat within the first ten overs of Sheffield Shield innings on 14 occasions, failing to reach fifty in any of those knocks.

Speaking to Fox Cricket’s Kath Loughnan ahead of the first Test against India, which gets underway on Friday, McSweeney brushed aside concerns about moving up the order, arguing the transition from No. 3 to opener isn’t too jarring.

“I feel like my game’s in a good spot, and I’m definitely confident I can handle it,” McSweeney said.

“In terms of preparation and planning, nothing changes.

“Batting No. 3 for most of my career, you can be out second ball of the game. You can be facing the ball before the other opener faces a ball.

“I’ve just got to pad up a little bit earlier.

“Having that time to get your mind ready is probably the most important thing.”

The most recent Australian opener to score a century on Test debut was Wayne Phillips, another South Australian achieving the feat against Pakistan in Perth in 1983 — perhaps a good omen for McSweeney.

The right-hander doesn’t need to look much further than his batting partner for inspiration — Usman Khawaja also occupied the middle order at Sheffield Shield order before flourishing into one of Test cricket’s most consistent openers.

However, many of Australia’s modern openers have flopped in their maiden Test knock, including Cameron Bancroft (5 vs England in Brisbane), David Warner (3 vs New Zealand in Brisbane), Phil Hughes (0 vs South Africa in Johannesburg), Chris Rogers (4 vs India in Perth), Phil Jacques (2 vs South Africa in Melbourne) and Michael Hussey (1 vs West Indis in Perth).

Hussey, who debuted as a Test opener before sliding down to the middle order, argued the mental adjustment would be more challenging for McSweeney than any technical changes.

“Opening the batting is the hardest job in the game, it’s such a tough position to bat,” Hussey told Fox Cricket’s The Follow-On Podcast this week.

“He’s got the game and the temperament and the technique to be able to handle the move, but it’s more dealing with the mental side of the game and the preparation, being mentally ready to go.

“Sometimes you’re out in the field for maybe 100 overs or so, and then you’ve got ten minutes and then you’re out there again batting. That can be a real mental challenge.

“Normally as a No. 4, you’ve got time to have a shower and mentally relax a little bit before going out.

“It’s going to be a real challenge for Nathan McSweeney I think, moving from a position that he feels comfortable in to a position he’s never really done before, especially against such a great team like India.

“It’ll be tough for him.”

McSweeney played his junior cricket for Caboolture, located about an honour north of Brisbane, before making his first-grade debut for Premier Cricket club Northern Suburbs aged 16.

He represented Australia at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2018, smacking a ruthless 156 (111) against Papua New Guinea and finishing the tournament with 211 runs at 70.33.

But after earning a rookie contract with Queensland later that year, McSweeney’s career stagnated. Across two summers with the Bulls, he played five matches and scored 126 runs at 14.00 with a best of 35.

With the likes of Test-capped batters Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw and Joe Burns in the Queensland squad, McSweeney struggled to crack into the first-choice Sheffield Shield starting XI — but South Australia gave him a lifeline.

Following his 2020 report into South Australian cricket, Hussey recommended the state needed a broader outlook on player recruitment, hunting for interstate talent rather than only promoting from local grade cricket.

In response, then Redbacks coach Jason Gillespie signed McSweeney and fellow Queenslander Brendan Doggett ahead of the 2021/22 season, a decision that sparked backlash at the time. However, the decision quickly paid dividends.

McSweeney has averaged 41.85 in the Sheffield Shield since switching allegiances, notching an unbeaten 99 against New South Wales at Karen Rolton Oval in March 2022 to help South Australia break a 17-match winless streak.

“Because the population’s not huge in South Australia, (I recommended) they should try to bring in talent from other states,” Hussey explained.

“It’s pretty good they managed to get Nathan McSweeney, he looks like a quality player, and I’m sure he would have been in Queensland’s plans for the future.

“But for him to be able to move to South Australia, get an opportunity and now play Test cricket for Australia, it’s a good story.

“I’m sure South Australia will see that as a bit of a win and a bit of a success story.”

Last season, McSweeney accumulated 762 runs at 40.11 with three hundreds, starting his 2024/25 season with a match-saving ton against New South Wales at Cricket Central. His unbeaten 88 against India A in Mackay convinced the national selectors he was ready for Test cricket.

“It’s going to be a dream come true,” McSweeney said.

“Steve Smith and Pat Cummins were the first to (text congratulations).

“It took a while to realise they’re my teammates now and not superstars that I watched on TV growing up as a kid.

“The Australian cricket team has always been up there as the best team in the world ever since I can remember, and to be a part of that is something that I’m very thankful for and grateful for the opportunity.”

McSweeney will become Australia’s 467th men’s Test cricketer on Friday, joining two fellow South Australians in the starting XI – Travis Head and Alex Carey.

Regardless of how the first couple of Tests transpire, Hussey hopes that McSweeney is given the entire series to prove his worth.

“I just hope they back him in,” Hussey continued.

“The challenge will be if Australia goes 2-0 down early in the series, and he hasn’t scored any runs, there’s going to be enormous pressure from the public and the media and everyone on the outside to make some changes.

“Let’s hope he gets off to a good start.”

The first Test between Australia and India gets underway at Perth Stadium on Friday at 1.20pm AEDT.