McSweeney ducks bouncers on and off the field in Test debut week

Perth: New opener Nathan McSweeney has absorbed the first hostile spells of his Test career on and off the pitch, and hopes to continue the trend on what shapes as a very lively Perth surface for the first Test against India.

McSweeney weathered the speediest efforts of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in a centre wicket session at the WACA Ground on Monday and weaved out of the way of former Test player and current Cricket NSW director Ed Cowan’s criticism.

Mitch Marsh at training the day after his wife Greta gave birth to a daughter. Credit: AAP

McSweeney, whose promotion ended any possibility of Travis Head being moved up the order to take on retired opener David Warner’s former role, was also defended by his new teammates on Monday. Head refused to answer questions about his own potential as a like-for-like replacement for Warner.

Cowan, who has a regular podcast spot on the ABC, had argued that the selectors were “guessing” by picking South Australian No.3 McSweeney to open with Usman Khawaja. The frank words were a departure from the 25-year-old’s previously low-profile cricket career.

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