McDonald declares opener race wide open as deadline set

by Admin
October 27, 2024

Australia’s Test coach Andrew McDonald says there is still not clear frontrunner to open the batting against India, declaring the race wide open, weeks out from the series opener.

And McDonald has given candidates, including West Australian Cam Bancroft, until the second of two Australia A matches to stake their claim on the vacant spot.

The race to open the batting with Usman Khawaja is the biggest mystery ahead of the Border-Gavaskar series — the most anticipated between the two nations in over a decade — after Steve Smith was confirmed to be sliding back into the middle-order and all-rounder Cam Green’s summer was derailed by stress fractures.

Bancroft is believed to be in a race with Marcus Harris, Matthew Renshaw and New South Wales’ teen sensation Sam Konstas, who has made a lightning start to the Sheffield Shield season.

Selectors and McDonald have also flagged the possibility of middle-order batters potentially being thrust to the top of the order.

While the race to fill the slot is anything but clear, the one thing that is set in stone is the deadline to pick the team – after the second Australia A game concludes on November 10.

“I think anytime we’re picking a Test team in particular, I think we’re picking the best team for here and now and if that does encompass a younger player, then we’ll head down that direction,” McDonald told ABC.

“Clearly, Sam Konstas, off the back of his first shield match and the way he went about his work in the second innings at the MCG against Scott Boland, definitely made some noise.

“We’ve got a shield game to come, we’ve got a couple of Australia A games, so that competition for opening spots is still well and truly open.

“We’re big believers in not having to make a decision at the selection panel until we have to, and that will be made at the end of the second Australia A game.”

McDonald also shut down notions Konstas would be protected from having to debut against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

“If they’re ready, they’re ready in our mind, and if Sam’s capable, and we feel as though he’s capable of filling that spot for this upcoming Indian series, I don’t think the opponent should come into the equation,” he said.

McDonald indicated that should none of the opening options impress enough to earn selection, the national team could look to players further down the order in national or state setups – such as Nathan McSweeney – that they believe have a technique that can adapt to facing the new ball.

“I like when they’ve had experience in the position they are playing in, but historically across Australian cricket, we’ve had some great success in elevating middle-order players – namely Simon Katich, Shane Watson,” he said.

“These circumstances aren’t unique to this team at this point in time either.

Simon Katich of Australia in action during day one of the Tour Match between Mumbai and Australia in 2004. Credit: Hamish Blair/Getty Images

“Thinking back to the last series against India, Matthew Wade was elevated to the opening position from the middle-order and the series before Aaron Finch opened the batting as well.

“I think it’s working out what’s best for the team and also with those middle-order players; sometimes they’re batting three and four for their States because they are the best players and they don’t fill the opening slot.

“So, are they capable of opening? I believe that sometimes they are. It’s really getting a good feel on whether that technique they have and the mindset they go about their work in can cope with the demands of opening in Test cricket.”