Former Test opening batter Ed Cowan believes Australian selectors George Bailey, Andrew McDonald and Tony Dodemaide have made a “guess” by selecting Nathan McSweeney to debut at the top of the order in the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Perth.

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The South Australian captain only opened the batting for the first time in first-class cricket in the recent Australia A versus India A match at the MCG having normally occupied number three or number four at Sheffield Shield level.

But upon announcing his selection, Bailey highlighted the fact that he has walked to the crease with the writing still visible on the red Kookaburra inside the first 10 overs many times at state level, and therefore is equipped to partner Usman Khawaja.

Cowan dug deeper into the numbers on the ABC Grandstand Cricket Podcast with Corbin Middlemas, and they do not read favourably on the 25-year-old’s ability to handle the heat early in the innings.

“He has two scores over 50 – 53 and 67 against NSW. Here are his other scores: 22, 32, 10, 0, 12, 48, 36, 15, 20, 25, 11, 0, 7 and 0,” Cowan said on the podcast of the times McSweeney has walked to the crease after an early wicket or two.

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“I feel slight vindication in many respects suggesting that he’s not an opening batter and the Australian selectors were looking for a data point this week.

“We said if he’s going to open for Australia he needs to open this week (for Australia A against India A at the MCG).

“They were begging for a data point. You know what they got? They got an open blade.

“Because that was money for jam (McSweeney’s dismissals opening the batting for Australia A) behind the wickets in both innings.

“Forty five degree bat, caught at second slip (for 14 in the first innings), caught behind (for 25 in the second innings).

“The data would suggest at the moment in his career, he doesn’t have the technique nor the temperament to do it.”

Cowan opened the batting in 29 of his 32 innings at Test level – he was infamously slid down to three for Glenn Maxwell to open the batting in the second innings of Test against India in Delhi in 2013 before again moving to first drop in the opening Test of that year’s Ashes series as Chris Rogers and Shane Watson walked out first – and did so extensively for Tasmania and New South Wales.

He scored 25 first class centuries – including one Test hundred – and earned his chance to don the baggy green through a weight of runs predominantly on tricky, green seamers at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, and he has accused his former teammate Bailey and the rest of the selection panel of discouraging current openers from doing the same.

“And do you know what a selection, when the data doesn’t support your point of view, is?” Cowan said.

“It’s a guess. It’s a guess.

“And you know what guesses do? Guesses sometimes pay off, but that’s called luck.

“And if they don’t (pay off), they actually dilute the players’ confidence, as in the whole playing group in first class cricket right through, as to the confidence as to what it takes and what they need to do to get selected.”

McSweeney will become the first Australian batter to make their Test debut since Will Pucovski did so in 2021 – also opening the batting against India – when he steps onto Perth Stadium next week.

He edged out specialist openers Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Sam Konstas in the Australia A ‘bat-off’ with scores of 55, 127 not out, 37, 72 and 137 off 131 balls – in a one-day match – for South Australia as well as making 39 and 88 not out in the first Australia A game to start the summer before he shifted to the top of the order.

Australia has a rich history of players moving up to open in Test cricket.

Khawaja has spent most of his career at number three, returned to the side at five and then took Harris’ spot opening.

Justin Langer, David Boon, Simon Katich, Greg Blewett and Shaun Marsh all moved up to the top at various stages in their careers.

But the difference is they had all played at Test level first before making the jump.

For McSweeney, it will be a greater challenge, but Bailey and co are clearly looking to the future, and may view it as this is simply the best way to get player they highly fancy into a team which has been remarkably stable for many years.