Melbourne, Dec 20 (IANS) Young opener Nathan McSweeney has been dropped while uncapped Sam Konstas earned maiden call-up to the Australia Test squad for the last two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Melbourne and Sydney.
Konstas has been added at the expense of opener McSweeney, whose spot in Australia’s XI was being heavily debated following two single-digit scores during the drawn third Test at the Gabba.
McSweeney, who had never opened in professional cricket before this season, has made 72 runs at 14.40 in the first three Tests.
Konstas has made a blazing start to his first full summer in senior career cricket after starring at the under-19 World Cup in South Africa early this year.
He scored 152 and 105 in New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield opener against South Australia, then made an unbeaten 73 for Australia A at the MCG against India A.
The 19-year-old Konstas could become the second-youngest player and the youngest specialist batter to debut for Australia since another ex-captain Ian Craig, when he played against South Africa at the MCG in 1953 aged 17 years 239 days.
“We remain confident Nathan has the ability and temperament to succeed at Test level in the future. It was a difficult decision to leave him out. It has clearly been a challenge at the top of the order for batters throughout the series, and we want to provide the option of a different line-up for the next two matches,” said chief selector George Bailey.
“Sam gets a call-up to the Test squad for the first time. His style of batting offers a point of difference, and we look forward to watching his game develop further,” he added.
Meanwhile, fast bowler Jhye Richardson has been included in the squad after recovering from a series of injuries. His last Test appearance was in the 2021-22 Ashes.
Fellow pacer Sean Abbott and uncapped all-rounder Beau Webster are included ahead of the Boxing Day Test.
With Hazlewood sidelined for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series with calf injury, Scott Boland is expected to return to the line-up for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
The Border-Gavaskar series is currently poised at 1-1, with the crucial fourth Test beginning on December 26 before the series heads to Sydney for the final Test.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head (vc), Steve Smith (vc), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
–IANS
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