Nathan McSweeney Dropped from Australia's Boxing Day Test Squad Against India

Nathan McSweeney, a 25-year-old cricketer, has been left out of Australia's squad for the Boxing Day Test against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Despite never having opened before, McSweeney was included in the squad but was dropped after the first three Tests. He scored only 72 runs, averaging 14.40, with Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah proving challenging for him.

Sam Konstas has been selected to replace McSweeney, becoming the favorite to open for Australia in Melbourne. McSweeney expressed his disappointment, stating, "Yeah, I mean devastated. I get the dream come true, and then didn't quite work the way I wanted." He plans to work hard and be ready for future opportunities.

McSweeney was praised for his performance in the day-night Test in Adelaide, where he scored a composed 39. However, he struggled in other matches, often being dismissed for low scores. He acknowledged the competitive nature of the game, saying, "If you don't take an opportunity and you're not performing as well as you want to, your position's never safe."

George Bailey, Australia's national team chief selector, admitted it was a difficult decision to drop McSweeney. He emphasized that the decision was made after careful consideration and reassured McSweeney of his potential to succeed at the Test level.