- Friday, April 04, 2025
Batting mainstay Steve Smith, openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney had a lacklustre run so far in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy
By: Shajil Kumar
IT’S not just Usman Khawaja but the entire Australian top-order that is feeling the “pressure” despite the series-levelling win in Adelaide, reckons former opener David Warner.
While the under-fire Marnus Labuschagne found form with a resolute fifty, batting mainstay Steve Smith and rookie opener Nathan McSweeney continue to search for runs in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“I think the pressure is on all the top order, not just ‘Uzzie’,” the former Australian left-hander was quoted saying by Fox Cricket.
Travis Head smashed a memorable hundred at home as Australia bounce back to level the five match series after a crushing loss in Perth.
“Travis came out and counterpunched and scored a brilliant hundred, and we know he’s capable of doing it. But it’s everyone else around supporting that,” said Warner.
“It’s not just one player in particular, it’s the top six scoring bulk runs and making sure you’re giving rest to the fast bowlers. It was a fast-paced Test in the first game, but this last one was Mitchell Starc at his best as usual with the pink ball.
“Come Brisbane, we need to see some big runs from the top order,” he said about the third Test beginning here on Saturday.
McSweeney had a forgettable debut in Perth being trapped LBW by Jasprit Bumrah in both his innings for 10 and 0, while in Adelaide he managed 49 runs.
Khawaja has 34 runs in the first two Tests and in his last 16 innings he has reached fifty only once.
Former skipper Smith is also in the middle of a woeful run, having scored 19 in his three innings of the series.
On McSweeney, Warner said: “He’s had four of probably the five hardest jobs when it comes to an opening batsman, and I think he’s handled it well,” Warner said.
“We saw glimpses the other day of the intent that you show when you’re scoring, and there are a lot of question marks around why they chose him, but the glimpses that you’ve seen, we now know why.
“He’s got a good temperament, I like the way he sets up, and I think he’s got a good future ahead of him. It’s just this bowling attack from India is relentless if they bowl in partnerships.”
On whether Sam Konstas should replace the struggling Khawaja, Warner said: “They would have picked him if they thought he was ready by now. That’s up to the selectors.”
There have also been talks about a Test comeback for gun all-rounder Glenn Maxwell but Warner feels the white ball specialist “doesn’t deserve that opportunity”.
“If you’re not being picked for your Shield team, then why do you deserve it? You’ve got to actually want it, to want to play four-day cricket,” Warner told CODE.
“Unless he’s putting his hand up, he’s playing all the club cricket stuff and all that, to want to play Test cricket. He in my (opinion), doesn’t deserve that opportunity.”
Maxwell, who has a career average of 26.07 in the format, last played a Test against Bangladesh in September 2017.
Pitch to favour pacers
The pitch for the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba is expected to have traditional pace and bounce considering the game is scheduled in the early part of the summer and not post Christmas.
India’s famous win at the Gabba on their previous tour came when the game was scheduled in the second half of the series.
A Rishabh Pant special ensured India a back- to-back series win Down Under with Australia left licking their wounds. It was the hosts’ first loss at the venue since 1988.
Since then Australia have lost to the West Indies at the ‘fortress’ and no wonder the players prefer to play at the Gabba at the start of the summer and not at end of it.
“Different times of year definitely makes it different, it can be a slightly different pitch,” Gabba curator David Sandurski was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au ahead of the third Test beginning Saturday.
“Pitches later in the season might have a bit more wear and tear while ones early in the season usually are a bit fresher and might have a bit more in them.
“Generally speaking, we still prepare the pitch the exact same way every time to try and get the same good carry, pace and bounce that the Gabba is known for. We are just trying to make a traditional Gabba wicket like we do each year,” he said. (PTI)
