1 week Ago
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Former Australia opener David Warner has backed Nathan McSweeney to score the most runs in the test series against India despite the uncapped batsman's lack of experience as an opener. South Australia captain McSweeney will march out to the middle with Usman Khawaja in the first test at Perth Stadium starting on Friday, having claimed the opening spot vacated by Steve Smith, who is returning to his favoured number four slot. McSweeney had not opened the batting in a first class match until playing India A this month in Melbourne where he scored 14 and 25.
Warner said McSweeney would be able to adapt to the opening role and looked a good fit for Khawaja, who also started his career lower down the order. "I think he's got the technique, he's got the patience to partner up with Uzzy (Khawaja) to allow himself to score big," Warner, who retired from tests after the Pakistan series in the last home summer, told reporters in Melbourne. "I’ve pencilled him in to be the highest run scorer this year, so I'm looking forward to that.
"I think they've both got the same sort of patience, which is going to be good for them and hold the middle order in good stead." At 25, McSweeney will be an outlier in a team of thirty-somethings and pundits worry about the impact a wave of retirements will have on the side in the coming years. Warner noted Australia needed to think about succession planning, particularly with players like 37-year-old Khawaja approaching the end of their careers.
However, he also called for selectors to be patient with the new generation and give McSweeney time to prove himself at the highest level. "It's not just these five test matches, it's the signs that you see (McSweeney) as a talented batsman for the future," he said. "You've got to give guys a crack.
"I know there are other guys that have been there - Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft - but it'd be exciting just to see him score some runs first to establish himself. "But if he doesn't, just give him some time, give him maybe two summers." (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford).
