Teenager Konstas added to Australia squad for final 2 tests against India
Teenager Konstas added to Australia squad for final 2 tests against India
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins bowls a delivery during play on day four of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher)
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of India’s Mohammed Siraj during play on day four of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher)
Australia’s Scott Boland celebrates the dismissal of India’s Virat Kohli during the day two of the second cricket test match between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins bowls a delivery during play on day four of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher)
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins bowls a delivery during play on day four of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher)
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of India’s Mohammed Siraj during play on day four of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher)
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of India’s Mohammed Siraj during play on day four of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher)
Australia’s Scott Boland celebrates the dismissal of India’s Virat Kohli during the day two of the second cricket test match between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia’s Scott Boland celebrates the dismissal of India’s Virat Kohli during the day two of the second cricket test match between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Teenager Sam Konstas has been called up to the Australia squad for the final two matches of the Australia-India test series at the expense of Nathan McSweeney.
Konstas was on Friday included in Australia’s 15-player squad for the remainder of the series against India, with paceman Jhye Richardson the other new face replacing injured fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.
At 19 years and 85 days, Konstas would become the fourth-youngest test debutant in Australian history if selected for the Boxing Day test in Melbourne starting Dec. 26, and youngest since current captain Pat Cummins in 2011.
The series is level 1—1 after the rain-affected draw ending Wednesday at the Gabba in Brisbane. India won the first test by 295 runs at Perth, while Australia came back to win the second day-night test in Adelaide by 10 wickets.
“Sam gets a call up to the test squad for the first time. His style of batting offers a point of difference and we look forward to watching his game develop further,” chief selector George Bailey said.
Konstas’ inclusion has pushed McSweeney out of the frame after both he and fellow opener Usman Khawaja misfired across the first three tests against India. Neither made a score above 40 this series.
South Australia captain McSweeney had never opened in a first-class match before his first three appearances for Australia.
Bailey said it was “a tough call” to drop McSweeney after only three tests but felt the top-order’s struggles had left selectors little choice but to make a change. He said Konstas was no guarantee to start the Melbourne test.
“Just given the way that the series has played out, we just want the option of throwing something different at India for this next test,” Bailey said. “It’s clearly been a challenge at the top of the order for both teams.”
Paceman Scott Boland is expected to be called into the XI to replace Hazlewood at the MCG, where he took six wickets for the loss of only seven runs in the second innings of his test debut three years ago.
The 35-year-old Boland most recently filled in for Hazlewood when a side strain forced Hazlewood out of the second test in Adelaide, where Boland took five wickets in his first test appearance in 18 months.
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Australia squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, Beau Webster.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket