Australia are no closer to landing on the opener to partner Usman Khajawa in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series after the leading contenders failed to grasp their opportunities on day one of the match against India A in Mackay.
Sam Konstas and Cameron Bancroft were both dismissed for a duck in huge blows to their Test hopes, while Marcus Harris could not capitalise on a promising start and a second life when caught for 17.
The fourth challenger for the vacant Test spot and Australia A’s captain, Nathan McSweeney, made a better impression with a steadying knock. The 25-year-old was unbeaten at stumps on 29 from 110 balls as Australia A recovered to finish the day on 99/4.
The hosts had earlier rolled India A for 107 with Brendan Doggett taking six for 15, but were back on the ropes when Konstas was dismissed third ball of their innings. The NSW teenager first staked his claim for a Test debut with twin centuries against South Australia earlier this month but paid the price for reaching at a fuller delivery and edging behind on Thursday.
Veteran opener Bancroft was pushed to first drop with Harris preferred to start alongside Konstas, but the Western Australian continued his barren run when caught behind off a shorter delivery. In little consolation for the Test discard, replays showed that the ball brushed a thigh pad rather than his bat on the way through to the keeper.
Australian men’s cricket coach Andrew McDonald said before play started that the four-way showdown for the vacant batting place is about more than just runs this week, as he looks towards picking the right player for the glut of Test cricket coming over the next three years.
McDonald said he sees the race “hotting up today” but the 43-year-old – who signed a contract extension to 2027 this week – added that selectors are considering a range of factors.
“We’re genuine in the fact that we haven’t made a decision, and we don’t tend to make decisions until we have to, and that will be at the end of the second Australia A game [next week in Melbourne],” he said.
He said while scores over the next two weeks are important, “context” will be considered.
“If you take Sam [Konstas] for example, he’s had limited experience in Perth pink ball games, and then obviously, up at the Gabba. So there are incredible challenges for players who haven’t played in those conditions before. It’s not to say they can’t do that either, he’s a fast learner.
“And then you look at Marcus Harris, it wasn’t that long ago that he played a blinding innings out there against England, I think he got 70 runs [at the Boxing Day Test in 2021], and [in terms of] percentage of runs in that game it was hugely important.”
Australia have 13 months of Test cricket scheduled in 2026 and 2027, featuring away series against India and England.
McDonald said “a lot of our lifting of the eyes” to the future has been done over winter, although he conceded it has been hard to bring about transition in a successful Test team.
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“Our mindset is always about, if you want to call it, ‘future proofing’ the team, and we’ve had opportunities in bilateral series to expose that next generation,” he said.
“Test cricket’s been slightly different, we have been really settled and almost predictable in the way that we’ve gone about it. But that’s not a bad thing when you’re performing as well those those older players, those players that have been able to perform over a period of time.”
McDonald said selectors were aware the Australian team had suffered lulls in the past when several players stepped away at a similar time. In 2007 Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer all retired after the Sydney Test.
Former opener David Warner retired from Tests last summer, and Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon are all in their mid-30s.
“We’re not beholden to the past, and I think if you get the selections right on the back of players exiting, then the transition is a lot smoother,” McDonald said.
Australia A won the toss on Thursday in Mackay but elected to bowl, delaying the so-called “bat off” a little longer. The first of the five Tests against India starts in Perth on 22 November.
