Bailey is never one to give much away. Nor should you ever read too much into his comments. But there was just a momentary pause before he answered.
“Not necessarily,” Bailey said. “I think it’s a good thing when you’ve got options, and there’s players that are putting their hands up for different roles. So I think, not necessarily difficult on that front, but always looking for what you think the best balance will be and the sort of make-up of that team.”
The reality is this was a challenging selection. Despite the insistence from the selectors that this wasn’t a bat-off, or “the great Australian bake-off” as Bailey jokingly put it, the way the Australia A teams were selected and the batting orders, on top of the public debate, clearly showed there was no standout candidate even if the selectors had an idea of which way they were leaning from a long way out.
Where they have been consistent is with the insistence that batting positions don’t matter, and they are intent on picking the best players in the country for the Test team.
This is where McSweeney’s selection is fascinating. He is set to open the batting in Perth having never done it at Sheffield Shield level and having only done it at first-class level for the first time against India A in the last five days.
Over the last 12 or 15 months, seeing a player whose growth is on a great trajectory, very organized, composed player at the crease, and got a game that will really suit Test cricket
George Bailey on Nathan McSweeney
“I don’t think it’s a huge adjustment to go from three to opening,” Bailey said. “I think in the 15 or so games that he’s been batting at three for South Australia, I think he’s been in before the 10th over about 20 times. He’s had plenty of experience. I think his game and the way he plays, I don’t think the adjustment will be too much.”
It’s worth drilling into those numbers. The 15 Bailey refers to is the overall innings McSweeney has batted at No. 3 in Sheffield Shield cricket (one of those came for Queensland before the move to South Australia which accelerated his rise). He has averaged 30.86 with one century and three half-centuries that have all come this calendar year in his last seven hits in the position.
It is understood Australia’s selectors did a deeper dive into the candidates’ performances against the best Shield attacks on the Test venues in the recent past to find a separator amongst them. McSweeney stood out.
But it’s worth noting he batted at No. 3 in just two of those eight innings, No. 4 in five of them and No. 5 once. His entry points were in the 26th, 18th, 46th, 19th, 24th, 11th, 4th and 25th overs respectively. Two of those four centuries came batting behind a nightwatcher.
Steven Smith averages 67.07 at No. 3 in Tests with eight centuries, including a double, and though he won’t admit it publicly, even he found the adjustment to opening difficult.
For this reason, Harris and Bancroft have a right to feel aggrieved. For 12 months the selectors have pointed to past success stories of Usman Khawaja, Justin Langer, Simon Katich and Shane Watson as converted Test openers to support their stance that batting positions do not matter. But there is a chance they are outliers depending on how you view things. As Smith showed, and as most grizzled openers will attest, there is a distinct difference between occasionally walking out early at one or two for not many to face the new ball and doing it day in, day out for over a decade as Harris and Bancroft have.
Harris’ Test scores of 79 and 70 at the SCG and Perth Stadium against a Jasprit Bumrah led India attack in 2018-19, and 76 against James Anderson, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes on an MCG minefield in 2021-22, do not seem to have overturned perceptions around his inability to convert starts and the large gulf between his first-class record at the bowling graveyard of the Junction Oval compared to the Test venues.
His 74 against India A on Friday appears to have been too little too late, despite no other top three batter in the game, including McSweeney, passing 25. His play against spin would also be a factor. He looked far from comfortable against Tanush Kotian’s offspin. Australia’s hierarchy are wary of giving R Ashwin a look at four left-handers in the top seven.
For Bancroft, perception about his technical deficiencies are becoming reality. After he was overlooked in January having dominated the Shield for two summers, he was never going to be selected having returned 29 runs in eight first-class innings this season. Bailey insisted the door wasn’t closed for either Harris or Bancroft. But brutally for both men, it is clear they are the wrong side of 30, and despite higher career averages than McSweeney, those too are the wrong side of 40 despite this being a difficult era for batters in Shield cricket.
It is noteworthy that McSweeney’s consistency of mechanics, method and decision-making have been praised in the aftermath of his selection.
For Konstas, his time is coming but it’s not quite now. When Khawaja will end remains a mystery, but the 19-year-old appears perfectly poised to assume his position with more first-class experience under his belt.
Ultimately, McSweeney is in the right place at the right time. He has been identified as a future Australian leader and his first-class form is matching that standing.
“[We’re] really thrilled with Nathan’s game,” Bailey said. “Over the last 12 or 15 months, seeing a player whose growth is on a great trajectory, very organized, composed player at the crease, and got a game that will really suit Test cricket. I think he’s wonderful person. He’s clearly had some good leadership exposure now, good catcher, bowl’s some good off spin too. So the package is really impressive.”
He is, however, about to step into a new world.
Alex Malcolm is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
