Nathan McSweeney Is Knocking On Australia's Test Doors! Should Kangaroos Test Him In Africa?

Nathan McSweeney is making a case for an Australia recall [Source: AFP]

Nathan McSweeney was considered one of the brightest batters in Australia ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25. After David Warner's retirement, the Aussies were on the lookout for a new long-term opener, having briefly experimented with Steve Smith for 4 Tests.

McSweeney was handed his debut in the high-profile series, but things did not go according to plan for the right-handed batter, and he was eventually dropped after playing 3 Tests.

Nonetheless, he remained on the periphery of the national team and could be in line to earn a recall into the side ahead of the testing tour of South Africa. 

Why was Nathan McSweeney dropped from Australia's Test squad?

Having made his debut at the seam-friendly surface of Perth, Nathan McSweeney had an incredibly underwhelming first Test. He was trapped LBW by Jasprit Bumrah in both innings, including a four-ball duck during a 534-run chase.

In the next two matches, his best score read 39 off 109 in Australia's win at the Adelaide Oval, while he managed scores of 10*(12), 9(49) and 4(25) in the other three innings. McSweeney often found himself in a shell, unable to get the scoreboard ticking, despite batting for quite a few deliveries.

Four of his five dismissals came off Bumrah's bowling, with the batter often looking short of answers against India's pace spearhead. Hence, he was replaced by the exciting prospect, Sam Konstas, and since then he has not returned to the squad.

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Nathan McSweeney has been impressive in First-Class cricket after Test exclusion

McSweeney started his domestic career in 2018 and initially played for his home state Queensland before moving to South Australia.

Since his last Test in Brisbane, where he scored only 13 runs in two innings, McSweeney went back to the Sheffield Shield and captained South Australia to the title with 478 runs in 12 innings, averaging 43.45 in the season.

In the following season, he once again captained South Australia to the Sheffield Shield title, scoring 477 runs in 10 matches. Although his average dropped in 2025/26, McSweeney racked up a crucial fifty in the final against Victoria batting at number 3.

Apart from leading the team to back-to-back Shield titles in the last two seasons, McSweeney is currently impressing in the County Championship with Northamptonshire and has already made a mark in 2026.

As things stand, he is closing in on 650 runs in the season and within touching distance of being among the top-3 scorers after nine matches. Nathan McSweeney has already racked up three centuries and two fifties in the season, i.e., a 50+ score every three innings.

*Season ongoing

Why can Nathan McSweeney earn an Australia recall for the South Africa tour?

1. Marnus Labuschagne's form

Former world number 1 Test batter Marnus Labuschagne was among the most reliable number 3 batters for the first half of his international career. From his debut until the beginning of the 2022/23 Aussie summer, Labuschagne averaged 59.71 across 23 Tests.

However, since then, his numbers have steadily declined, and now he averages 43.79 after 65 Tests. 

Labuschagne was also dropped from the team just ahead of the Ashes 2025, but he went on a scoring spree for Queensland, earning a recall to the Australian Test XI. But with international performances not improving, he is the first in the firing line of the Australian selectors. 

(Marnus Labuschagne's Test record in the last 4 years)

Although McSweeney played as an opener in his debut series, he is well-equipped to bat at 3 and 4 in red-ball cricket. He bats at 3 for South Australia, and can be allotted the number 3 slot in the Test XI as Labuschagne's replacement. 

2. McSweeney can smoothen Australia's Test transition

Australia had 7 batters, including two wicketkeepers, in the squad for the recent Bangladesh series, and none of them was under 30. Moreover, the only player under 30 in the 14-man roster was all-rounder Cameron Green (27).

Hence, the Aussies would soon be looking at replacements for quite a few players, who'll likely be retiring across departments. This is where someone like Nathan McSweeney, who is 27 and already has 65 First-Class matches under his belt, would come in handy whenever they go into the transition.

3. Inject freshness to out of form batting lineup

Since the beginning of the 2024/25 Australian summer, only three batters have averaged over 40 for the Aussies. Travis Head (46.25) and Steve Smith (49.40) have stood out among them, while Alex Carey (40.30) just about makes this list.

With Labuschagne incredibly out of touch, Usman Khawaja retired, Jake Weatherald and Sam Konstas failing as openers, and Cameron Green just finding his rhythm in the last series, a lot of pressure piles onto Smith and Head.

If both Head and Smith, who bat in the top-4, are dismissed early, Australia find their backs against the wall. Hence, a batter like McSweeney, who is in decent touch, will add massive value to this lineup in an all-important South Africa series.

The Aussies will play a highly motivated New Zealand in the home summer, followed by another big tour of India in 2027. So, recalling Nathan McSweeney now could be a logical move.

The Australia tour of South Africa will commence on September 24. The teams will first play three ODIs, followed by a Tour Match, before three Test matches in October.

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