Warner, O’Keeffe back Konstas, McSweeney for Australia Test recall

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) With some of Australian batters’ troubles continuing in the first Test match against Bangladesh, former Aussie cricketers chalked up their long-term contenders to solve the batting jigsaw, putting their weight behind the return of the likes of Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney and Matt Renshaw in the Test side. Australia’s 20 Test odyssey till next year is off to an underwhelming start after their batters failed to find the mojo, with the struggles continuing for Jake Weatherald, Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne.

Weatherald’s five-match Test career has been off to a shaky start with just one fifty, and the troubles were compounded for him when he was dismissed for a duck and 23 in the two innings of the first Test against Bangladesh. Labuschagne’s wait for a Test century continued since he last got to a three-figure mark during the 2023 Ashes, and Green has not set the stage alight since his unbeaten 174 in Wellington in February 2024.

Taking note of the Aussie batting performance and providing long-term contenders, former cricketers David Warner, Kerry O’Keeffe and Brendon Julian have called for the return of the likes of Konstas, McSweeney and Renshaw, while also picking Victorian duo Campbell Kellaway and Ollie Peake as ones to keep a tab on for the future. Warner insisted that Konstas’ debut against India was an impressive one, while Julian believed the Border-Gavaskar series outing at SCG should have got him a ticket for the series in Sri Lanka last year in February.

“He’s got the base. He (has) scored runs,” Warner said on Kayo Sport. “That series there (against India), he wanted to do something a little bit different. That’s fine. But now (he has to) go back to batting, go back to the way that he knows how to play the game and score runs and score big runs. (He has) had that taste. I know he’s got that about him, that he just wants to get out there and play for Australia.” Julian agreed with Warner’s suggestion. “I agree with that. Had he nailed some runs in that second innings against India at the SCG, that could have got him on the train,” he said.

Former Australia all-rounder Kerry O’Keeffe asked to keep a tab on Victorian opener Campbell Kellaway, who he feels is ‘destined’ to play for the national Test side. “(He is a) prolific off-side hitter through point and cover, a tall (player) who stays side-on as much as he can and keeps the bat face open,” O’Keeffe said.

“I think he’s destined (to play for Australia) as well, Campbell Kellaway. There’s something about him. He’s a very good fielder. He can play spin, and there’s something about him when you look at that stroke play. He gets low, even though he’s tall, and he takes slow bowlers on. There’s a lot to like about Campbell Kellaway.”

McSweeney received the backing of Warner to get another chance in the Test side, with the former Aussie opener emphasising that he’s got leadership skills too. Warner empathised with Queenslander come South Australian after he was sent to open and face the brunt of Jasprit Bumrah after his retirement. “He came in at every single hardest position an opening batter does not want to face in a career. He had all of them in that Test series,” Warner said.

“I definitely think he’s good enough. I think his best position is probably three or four … and I think he’s got the patience and the leadership qualities as well. He’s got, I think, a bright future.”

Meanwhile, Warner called 19-year-old Oliver Peake a ‘generational player’ after his performances in the under-age cricket. “He’s got gears, and the best thing about him is, and what I’ve heard from a lot of people, is that he adapts to the situations very fast,” he said.

“I know he’s young, but he knows his game plan; he knows the game situations, and he plays them. There’s a lot to like about him. There’s big wraps on him, but I think he’s going to be your generation player.”

Matt Renshaw was another option the former cricketers provided, with Warner stating that he must open the innings for Queensland if he has to earn a recall. “Well, if he opens this year for Queensland, I think he can make his way back into the Australian team,” he said. “It’s about ‘What has Matt Renshaw learnt from when he was playing there in that environment? What has he learnt there that he can adapt into the environment today?’ He’s had some white ball success, which is fantastic, but it’s just that other side of it with the Test match stuff. Has he learned a lot from when he first played? That’s my question.”

O’Keeffe felt that Renshaw is improving every year, but that does not guarantee him a spot in the team. “He is getting better,” he said. “I watched him a lot last year, and he is improving every year.

–IANS

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