Melbourne: Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney have been named in Australia A squad for the two red-ball four-day matches against India A in September, with an eye towards Australia’s 2027 Test tour rather than the upcoming Ashes.
Teenage talent Oliver Peake and promising Victoria opener Campbell Kellaway have also been named in the squad. However, notable performers from the recent Australia A series against Sri Lanka A - Jake Weatherald, Jason Sangha and Kurtis Patterson - have missed out on selection.
Experienced openers with Test caps - Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw - were also excluded. Renshaw has already toured India twice for Tests, while Bancroft previously impressed on an Australia A tour in 2015, scoring 150 against an India A side packed with nine Test players.
Performances during the September tour of India against India A are unlikely to influence Ashes selection, with national selectors having already stated that the first three rounds of the Sheffield Shield will carry the most weight. Instead, the Australia A squad appears to be chosen with a longer-term focus - providing younger players exposure to Indian conditions ahead of Australia’s five-Test tour in January-February 2027. By then, the makeup of Australia’s top six could look quite different, with Usman Khawaja unlikely to be playing and Steven Smith set to turn 38 in June that year. IANS
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