New Delhi: Former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy was impressed by Nathan McSweeney’s first innings performance for Australia A against India A in Mackay. He believes the 25-year-old has a strong chance of leading the national team at the Test level one day.
Skipper McSweeney’s gritty 39 off 131 balls against India A was the top inidividual score in Australia’s first innings score of 195. Healy believes his innings shows McSweeney is the most prepared to step into Australia’s Test side, ahead of Harris (17), Konstas (0), and Bancroft (0), who all failed to fire in.
“I was glad people could see how Nathan McSweeney can bat yesterday, he put his shots away for the good of the situation. I knew about him because he’s come from my club and the Australian selectors know about it because he’s played like that for South Australia and very well recently.
“He showed that at 25 years of age, he’s the most ready of the four. The tried and tested Bancroft and Harris are a bit older and Konstas is a bit younger. He’s the most suited from that performance overall. We learned how he can deal with the media the day before and how he can deal with pressure,” Healy told SEN Afternoons.
McSweeney’s name has increasingly entered discussions about the make-up of Australia’s Test team for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series against India.
Impressed by McSweeney’s leadership for both South Australia and Australia A, Healy said, “Yes I do (think he’s a future Australian captain),” Healy said.
“His answers in the public up in Mackay in the media were impressive, he’s had to answer touchy questions about himself and the batting duel and he has been excellent. He’s honest, well-considered and happy to get better. If he doesn’t get selected then so be it, he’ll continue to try and get better.
“I agree with them that they’ve made him the captain of a couple of these teams now, selectors think he is and I agree with it. So I think that man needs to be in the team soon,” he added.
–IANS
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