New Delhi: Michael Vaughan feels pity for Nathan McSweeney for being thrown into the challenge of facing Jasprit Bumrah and then getting dropped from the Australian team after failure in the first three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series.
But the former England cricketer said getting axed might be a blessing in disguise for the young right hand top-order batter as it could get hom to bat in his natural position rather than being forced to become an opener.
McSweeney usually bats at No.3 in Australia’s domestic circuit but was asked to open in the first three Tests against an Indian pace attack led by the sublime Bumrah, who is the leading wicket taker in the series with 21 wickets.
The 25-year-old looked out of sorts against the guile of Bumrah and made way for Sam Konstas in the team for the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne.
“I don’t think in the long run it’s going to be a bad thing for McSweeney. I think he will end up being an Australian Test cricketer, but I don’t think he’ll be up the top of the order; I think it’ll be down at four or five,” Vaughan told Fox Sports.
“If I was McSweeney, next time I get the chance to wear the baggy green, I’d want him to be in the position that he’s played all his life. I feel for Nathan, I think he’ll be back — but I totally understand why Australia made this move.”
Australia’s top-order has floundered in the series so far with McSweeney’s senior opening partner Usman Khawaja also facing pressure for a string of low scores.
“I do think that Usman needs runs in the next two games; I don’t think he can be anywhere near a shoe-in to go to Sri Lanka and the West Indies if he doesn’t score runs in this series, because eventually you have to look to the future,” Vaughan added.
‘Hard challenge to face Bumrah’
Bumrah dismissed McSweeney four times out of his six innings, forcing Australia to drop the right hander in favour of Konstas for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests. He was axed after scores of 10, 0, 39, 10 not out, 9, and 4 in his six innings.
“I look at McSweeney and think I don’t think there’s a player who has had a harder start to their career. I feel for the kid, because of all the people that I’ve seen come into Test cricket over the last 10 years, I don’t think anyone’s been given a harder challenge,” Vaughan said.
“To face Bumrah in the conditions that he’s had to face now, the pink ball under lights in his second game, in Perth it did all sorts and in Brisbane the ball was moving around.”
But Vaughan still hoped to find McSweeney playing in the Boxing Day Test squad despite his struggles, though Australian selectors had other ideas.
“I thought they’d go with McSweeney for Melbourne, and if he failed again, they’d bring Sam (Konstas) in for his home Test at the SCG,” he said.
Michael Vaughan feels pity for Nathan McSweeney for being thrown into the challenge of facing Jasprit Bumrah in his debut Test series Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
