Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has backflipped on his choice for the Test opening spot midway through a dramatic tour match in Mackay this week.

Untried batsmen Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas entered Australia A’s four-day contest against India A in a bat-off with capped veterans Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, but only one man has stood out.

Konstas and Bancroft made ducks in the first innings and managed just 16 runs apiece in the second, while Harris scored 17 and 36 in his two digs.

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McSweeney, meanwhile, recorded a patient 39 off 131 balls in the first dig and was 47 off 98 at stumps on day three (Saturday).

The Australian selectors will not make a decision until after the second tour match next week but McSweeney’s credentials are clearer than ever — including to Ponting, who has owned up to a slice of recency bias.

“I was put on the spot about a week ago, and I sort of immediately went to the young guy Sam Konstas. He had come off back-to-back hundreds against South Australia,” he told the ICC Review show.

“Then I thought a bit more about it and, he is so young and he has probably not even played on grounds like Optus Stadium or at the Gabba.

“He wouldn’t have played a pink-ball (match) at Adelaide Oval either. So there’s a lot of things that stack up against the young guy, although there’s no doubt that he’s got talent.”

McSweeney has the runs on the board beyond Mackay after averaging 97 in the Sheffield Shield this season.

But he is inexperienced as an opener and prefers to bat at No.3 or No.4, with Ponting suggesting he is the best option available rather than the outright leading candidate.

“I don’t think they’d go back to a Bancroft or Harris because if they’re willing to do that they would’ve done it the last year,” Ponting said.

“So, the only name left for me more or less is Nathan McSweeney, who is Queensland-born now playing for South Australia. He got the most out of any of those guys from the ‘A’ game in Australia at the moment.

“And he’s more experienced. He has captained Australia A in the past, and he’s captaining them now. So, I’m leaning towards McSweeney now for that opening role at the start of the Australian summer.”

Ponting, who will lead the Channel 7 commentary team this summer, said McSweeney’s push to the top of the queue was a marker for the 19-year-old Konstas to follow.

While all the focus is on who will replace David Warner as a full-time opener following Steve Smith’s ill-fated stint, incumbent Usman Khawaja could be retired by this time next year.

“(Konstas) might be ready to come in at the top of the order then,” Ponting said, adding more time in the Shield can only be a good thing.

“He’s not the only person who has issues with the ball coming back in and the more exposure he gets to that type of bowling, the better off he is going to be.

“Which kind of backs up my point on (picking) McSweeney.

“Maybe (Konstas) needs 12 months of Shield cricket to face better bowling and play in different conditions and put a stamp on what his technique looks like for international cricket.

“He is a highly talented player, and I’m sure he’ll get his chance to play for Australia.”

With only six first-class caps to his name, Konstas fell into a trap for young players on Saturday against India A.

The teenager shouldered arms and watched as Kumar’s inswinger forced his off-stump halfway to the wicketkeeper.

McSweeney will have ample time and a large enough target to impress on day four.

Australia A (3-139) require 86 runs for victory, with allrounder Webster (19no) to start alongside him at the crease on Sunday.

– with AAP