Border Gavaskar Trophy: McSweeney dropped, Sam Konstas in for Boxing Day Test

While Pat Cummins continues to play it cool in press conferences, the prospect of India arriving in Melbourne with the series levelled is undoubtedly unsettling for the home team. With two matches left in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, the outcome remains wide open. India, armed with Jasprit Bumrah and the in-form KL Rahul, holds a fair chance to retain the trophy. Furthermore, the visitors still have a realistic opportunity to surpass Australia in the WTC Final qualification race. Aware of these stakes, Australia has promptly made adjustments to their squad in hopes of surprising India in Melbourne and Sydney. Nathan McSweeney has been dropped following his underwhelming performances in the three BGT matches played so far.

Australia calls up Sam Konstas for the remaining Border Gavaskar Trophy fixtures

Sam Konstas has received his maiden call-up to the Australian Test side as the hosts prepare for a different approach in the remaining fixtures. With Josh Hazlewood sidelined due to injury, the squad sees significant changes. Jhye Richardson has been named as Hazlewood’s replacement, though Scott Boland is the likely candidate to step into the Playing XI for the remaining matches. When Hazlewood was previously ruled out of the Adelaide Test due to a side strain, Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett were added to the squad. However, it was Boland who partnered with Mitchell Starc to deliver a 10-wicket victory over India.

Nathan McSweeney, making his debut series, was consistently targeted by India’s star pacer, Jasprit Bumrah. The Indian seamer has taken 21 wickets across the three matches, dismissing the Australian opener four times in six innings. McSweeney has struggled, managing just 72 runs at a disappointing average of 14.40 in the series so far. Despite an impressive Sheffield Shield campaign, Konstas initially missed out on selection, with the George Bailey-led committee opting for McSweeney to replace David Warner at the top of the order. Interestingly, while Konstas is a specialist opener, McSweeney was thrust into the position for the first time during the unofficial Test against India A prior to the BGT.

McSweeney’s selection has not yielded the desired results, prompting Konstas to finally rise through the ranks. The Australian summer has seen Konstas emerge as a standout performer, beginning with consecutive centuries against South Australia, making him the youngest player to achieve such a feat in the Sheffield Shield since Ricky Ponting. Additionally, his ton at the Manuka Oval against India in the pink-ball practice match before the Adelaide Test likely played a role in his selection.

While Josh Inglis remains in the squad, the odds heavily favor Konstas making his debut in the Boxing Day Test. George Bailey, the head of Australia’s selection committee, elaborated on the factors leading to Konstas’ call-up. Acknowledging the limited opportunity McSweeney had, Bailey suggested the team aims to test new strategies against India.

"First and foremost, [want to] acknowledge that it's a tough call on Nathan, particularly after three Tests," Bailey said. "It's clearly been a challenge at the top of the order for both teams. Think Sam's method, his style, is different to Nathan's, and we think they provide the options of a different look and a different make-up for the XI come Boxing Day,” the selector explained.

"In the lead-up to the series, he was performing incredibly well," Bailey said about Konstas. "Think the key around that was the way he plays. We believe [that] doesn't change too much wherever he's coming in the order. We'd like the ability to throw something different at India off the back of that," he added.

Beau Webster, who was added to the squad ahead of the Adelaide Test due to concerns over Mitchell Marsh's fitness, remains in contention. However, Marsh is expected to retain his spot in the Playing XI, given his performance in Brisbane. The two nearly confirmed changes are Konstas replacing McSweeney and Boland coming in for Hazlewood in Melbourne. India, on the other hand, is likely to stick with an unchanged lineup, with Ravindra Jadeja justifying his inclusion through a resilient knock down the order.

Predicted Australia Playing XI for Boxing Day Test: 

Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland