'For now, he's the best person' - Ryan Harris backs Nathan McSweeney to bounce back after forgettable debut

Former Australian speedster Ryan Harris backed Nathan McSweeney to bounce back strongly, despite his dismal start to international cricket. McSweeney made his debut against India in the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Opening the batting, the 25-year-old was out LBW to Jasprit Bumrah in both innings.

In the first innings, McSweeney hit two boundaries and got to 10 runs before being dismissed. However, in the second innings, he couldn't get off the mark. McSweeney's poor returns are amplifying the concerns of the Australian fans, especially after the Pat Cummins-led side lost the Perth encounter by an embarrassing margin of 295 runs.

However, Harris, who coaches McSweeney in the South Australian first-class side, asserted that he is the best person for the role. The 45-year-old also pointed out that McSweeney was dismissed by two pretty good balls.

“For now, I think he’s the best person for it, but like everyone, he needs to score runs. Batting three and opening is slightly different, but it’s not… Nathan is well-equipped to do that. Obviously, he didn’t have a great start, but he copped two pretty good balls in Perth," Harris told SEN.

Ultimately, he probably slots back into three at some stage: Harris

While Harris feels that McSweeney is well-suited for the opener's role, he suggested that his ideal position could be at No. 3 in the long run.

“Ultimately, he probably slots back into three at some stage, depending on what happens over the next couple of years with ‘Uzzie’ (Usman Khawaja). He’s the right person for that position right now, but again, long-term, if Uzzie were to keep going and play well, then they probably stay with that combination. If Uzzie was to finish next summer…then probably Sam Konstas comes into it, and there’s a new batting pair from there," Harris said.

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The second Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 gets underway on Friday, December 6. This will be a pink-ball affair, which will be played at the iconic Adelaide Oval.