Selectors’ tough love for overlooked stars, Gilchrist flags wildcard from the west: Selection Talking Points.

The auditions are over and Australia has a Test squad, but there is much to dissect from the anointed ones and those who were overlooked for the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Perth beginning next Thursday.

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Nathan McSweeney has been appointed opener, Josh Inglis is a wildcard selection and one Australian great still thinks he should still be in contention for the opening role, while Scott Boland earned the nod as reserve fast bowler as expected.

From uncapped Australians to new dads and the merits of Sheffield Shield form, Fox Cricket considers the Talking Points from the unveiling of the Test squad.

HOW TOUGH WAS THE CHOICE TO OPT FOR McSWEENEY OVER TRADITIONAL OPENERS?

It has been the hottest topic in Australian cricket for the past six weeks.

With Steve Smith returning back to his preferred No.4 spot and Cameron Green sidelined with stress fractures to his back, the race was on to find a new opener to partner Usman Khawaja.

It was billed as the great Australian ‘bat off’ and Sam Konstas, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Nathan McSweeney set about bolstering their resumes before the latter was given the role. He starts his new job in Perth on Thursday, November 22.

After a month of Sheffield Shield matches and two Australia A vs India A fixtures, the national selectors opted to select the best batters available instead of the best openers to fill the vacancy.

The policy under selection chair George Bailey, coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins is clear.

It is a ‘best six’ as opposed to a ‘top six’, as Australian great Adam Gilchrist noted when assessing the squad for Fox Cricket prior to the ODI against Pakistan on Sunday.

“I was saying, ‘Do they stay with the policy that they came out (with) in very strong fashion last summer’” Gilchrist said.

“It was enough (for them) to move Steve Smith to the top of the order at the back end of (last) summer once David Warner had finished to get Cam Green in, (because) they said Green is in our best six, (which is) not to be confused with the top six, (but) the best six batters in Australia at the moment.”

Bearing that in mind, and having been impressed with McSweeney’s run splurge for South Australia and Australia A this season — he has made 457 runs at an average of 76 — Bailey said it was not the toughest call he has had to make in the chair.

“Not necessarily. It’s a good thing when you’ve got options and there’s players who are putting their hands up for different roles,” he said.

“It is not necessarily difficult on that front, but (we are) always looking for what the best balance will be and then we sort out the make up of that team.”

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BAILEY EVOKES FAMOUS CHAPPELL QUOTE AS BANCROFT FADES FROM VIEW

Former Australian captain Greg Chappell once famously insisted during a lean patch that “he could not really say he was batting badly” because “he was not batting long enough to be batting badly”.

Bancroft, who entered the summer a strong contender for the vacant role but has managed just 29 runs in eight first class innings, has reason to argue the same according to Bailey.

“Despite not spending much time in the middle, I actually think Cameron Bancroft is still batting really well, just with no runs,” he said.

The challenge for Bancroft, who played the last of his 10 Tests in 2019, is sustaining the motivation to challenge again after a disastrous start to the 2024/25 season.

The Western Australian is only 31. He has been the leading run scorer in domestic cricket over the past couple of seasons. But Warner is among those to identify a technical flaw.

A vacancy will open up at some stage when Usman Khawaja, who is 38, retires. And McSweeney obviously has to cement his spot at the top of the order as well.

But with Harris, despite missing out on a spot as the reserve batter, considered in front of him and Konstas an emerging talent destined for national duties, he faces a significant task.

Bailey said he was yet to discuss the decisions behind opting for McSweeney and Inglis with those vying for the role, but he also pointed out they were old enough to understand why.

““That is the message to everyone, isn’t it?” he said.

“There is no doubt that part of cricket selection is being in the right place at the right time, being consistent and being able to put those runs on the board at the right time is critical.

“I don’t necessarily think that those guys need to be told that. They are hardened professionals and they know how it works.”

THE WILDCARD FROM THE WEST

The addition of Inglis is intriguing given the Australian hierarchy was adamant he was not considered a potential red ball opener late last month.

The English-born wicketkeeper dazzled with the bat in the Sheffield Shield last month, making centuries against both Tasmania and Queensland to force his way into the Test squad.

After those innings, New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd said Inglis, who captained Australia in the ODI against Pakistan in Perth on Sunday, had the capacity to open in Tests.

The view was shot down at the time but Gilchrist believes Inglis, who has opened in white ball cricket for Australia, could yet emerge as a wildcard opener in Tests this summer.

“For mine, Josh Inglis is in the best six batters in Australia. So if they stay with that policy, for me I would say, ‘Put him at the top of the order’” Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.

“I don’t see it’s too much of a challenge for him. He faces a new ball in white ball cricket, so I don’t see it as an issue.”

Gilchrist, by the way, has no issue with McSweeney opening, as he told foxsports.com.au prior to the ODI series starting at the MCG on Melbourne Cup eve. But he is flagging Inglis as a wildcard option to watch.

“I think Nathan McSweeney is a fine looking player,” he said.

“I think they see that his game is a little bit more suitable for opening the batting, whereas Josh Inglis, he knows how to attack. He goes on the offence (and that) is probably his best form of defence, whereas McSweeney is perhaps the other way around.

“So he might be more suited to going in and facing the new ball of guys like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

“It’ll be interesting to see. I think (Inglis is) in the squad more as a genuine, all-round, versatile utility (who) can do a number of jobs.”

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HOW ABOUT THE NEW DADS?

Away from the debate as to who Australia’s next opener should be, and whether the nation’s top order batters are capable of finding form, a couple of genuine stars have been quiet.

Multi-format stars Travis Head and Mitch Marsh were excused from the one day international series against Pakistan on paternity leave but will rejoin the Test squad in Perth.

Head, who made 40 for South Australia against New South Wales in the opening Shield game, and his partner Jessica became parents for the second time with baby boy Harrison.

Marsh played both rounds of Sheffield Shield for Western Australia, with his best effort 94 in the second innings against Queensland in the opening round.

Bailey has left the senior batters alone during their leave but is confident they will be in good shape when called on.

“The last few weeks, they’ve have been sort of physically preparing, changing nappies, I think. Actually, I don’t know. That could be false. I don’t know if Heady has changed a nappy yet. And Mitch is patiently waiting,” Bailey said.

“Again, I think that whilst not playing, they’ve played a lot of cricket (and) a lot of planning was put into what it was going to look like when they were not playing.

“And I think the way that the coaching staff set up the preparation in the lead up to the Test, that they’ll be fine and they will be ready to go.”