BGT: Australia's Nathan McSweeney looking forward to Brisbane Test, a venue he "knows well"
Dec 11, 2024
Brisbane [Australia], December 11 : Australia's young batter Nathan McSweeney is "looking forward" to playing at The Gabba, a ground he "knows well" under seaming conditions against India in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series.
Australia found its lost momentum with the pink ball in the day-night Test in Adelaide, with an imposing 10-wicket victory bringing the series to level terms.
McSweeney is expected to step in front of his home crowd with a first-class average of 22.63 from 12 innings on the ground. The 25-year-old is aware of the challenges the conditions can pose after overnight rain in Brisbane on Tuesday.
"Obviously, there has been a bit of [wet] weather the last couple of days up here. The wicket has a great bounce. It can seam around, no doubt. If there's overhead [conditions], it can swing around a little bit. As a batter, you try and prepare for all scenarios. It is a ground I know really well. I am really looking forward to it," McSweeney told reporters on Wednesday, as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald.
Former Australia opener David Warner batted for McSweeney to be his long-term successor after witnessing his ability to navigate through a tough phase under the lights in Adelaide.
"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 at a Sydney Thunder media conference.
"There's a lot of question marks around why they chose him, but [from] 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 has a good future ahead of him. It's just that this bowling attack from India is relentless," he added.
Ahead of the third Test, which will begin on Saturday, Gabba curator David Sandurski exuded confidence about having enough time to get the pitch right despite rain hampering their preparations.
"We're still three days out, and there's probably three or four cuts and half-a-dozen rolls on that wicket to go. It'll change a fair bit between now and game day," David said.
"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," he added.
