Australia’s young batter Nathan McSweeney expressed his excitement about playing at The Gabba under seaming conditions in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series. The series stands level at 1-1 after Australia’s dominant 10-wicket victory in the day-night Test in Adelaide.
McSweeney, who is expected to feature in front of his home crowd, has a first-class average of 22.63 from 12 innings at the venue. The 25-year-old acknowledged the challenges posed by the conditions, especially after overnight rain in Brisbane.
“Obviously, there has been a bit of [wet] weather the last couple of days up here. The wicket has a great bounce. It can seam around, no doubt. If there’s overhead [conditions], it can swing around a little bit. As a batter, you try and prepare for all scenarios. It is a ground I know really well. I am really looking forward to it,” McSweeney remarked.
David Warner Sees Potential in McSweeney
Former Australian opener David Warner highlighted McSweeney’s potential as a future mainstay in the team, citing his composure under challenging conditions in Adelaide.
“He’s had four of probably the five hardest jobs when it comes to an opening batsman, and I think he’s handled it well,” Warner commented.
“There’s a lot of question marks around why they chose him, but [from] the glimpses that you’ve seen, we now know why. He’s got a good temperament. I like the way he sets up, and I think he has a good future ahead of him. It’s just that this bowling attack from India is relentless,” he added.
Preparations Underway Despite Rain at Gabba
Gabba curator David Sandurski remains optimistic about the pitch preparation, despite recent rain disrupting the schedule. He emphasized the venue’s reputation for pace and bounce and assured that the wicket will be ready in time for the match starting Saturday.
“We’re still three days out, and there’s probably three or four cuts and half-a-dozen rolls on that wicket to go. It’ll change a fair bit between now and game day,” Sandurski explained.
“Generally speaking, we still prepare the pitch the exact same way every time to try and get the same good carry, pace and bounce that the Gabba is known for,” he concluded.