Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has expressed his frustration over Nathan McSweeney being dropped for the next two Test matches against India. McSweeney, who had a poor start to his career, scored only 72 runs in the first three matches. The 25-year-old earned his place in the Australian team based on strong performances in India A and the Sheffield Shield.
McSweeney Fails to Impress
McSweeney failed to make an impact at the international level. His poor form led to his exclusion, with Sam Konstas being called up as his replacement. However, Clarke criticized the decision, stating that McSweeney could have spent more time in the top order to develop his game.
Clarke remarked, “I can’t believe McSweeney has been dropped. It doesn’t matter who replaces him as an opener; I feel the selectors have made a mistake. We have Usman Khawaja, who is 38 years old and hasn’t scored many runs. He’s a senior player. We also have Marnus Labuschagne, who was under pressure before the series and hasn’t delivered yet.”
He added, “Steve Smith scored a century under pressure, but he too is not entirely out of it. Except for McSweeney, all the top-order players are above 30. What if Khawaja decides to retire after two matches? Will McSweeney come back, or will he have to wait in line? The selectors need to admit if they made a mistake by picking him.”
Other Changes in the Squad
McSweeney’s exclusion isn’t the only major change. Experienced pacer Josh Hazlewood has also been ruled out for the remainder of the series. Hazlewood suffered an injury during the Brisbane Test, which forced him to miss the final two days of the match.
Australia has added Sean Abbott, Jhye Richardson, and Beau Webster to their squad for the final two matches of the series.
Australia’s Squad for the Final Two Tests Against India
- Pat Cummins (Captain)
- Steve Smith
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Sam Konstas
- Usman Khawaja
- Travis Head
- Mitchell Marsh
- Beau Webster
- Sean Abbott
- Mitchell Starc
- Nathan Lyon
- Jhye Richardson
- Alex Carey
- Scott Boland
- Josh Inglis