NEW DELHI: Former wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist questioned the selectors about whether they had deviated from their "top six batters" policy after Cricket Australia confirmed that Nathan McSweeney would open the batting in the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
He contended that Josh Inglis, who had been included as a reserve batsman, should make his Test debut against India in Perth and open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja.
In addition to announcing the 13-man roster on Sunday, Cricket Australia also confirmed that McSweeney and Khawaja will start the batting in the November 12 series opener.
Prior to this week's Australia A match against India A at the MCG, McSweeney had never opened the batting at the first-class level. Meanwhile, Inglis, who has solidified his place in Australia's white-ball teams, was named as a reserve batter following a scorching start to his Sheffield Shield campaign, scoring 297 runs at an average of 99.00 in two games.
Gilchrist countered that if the management continues with their strategy of having the top six batters in the league, Inglis should be regarded as one of the top six batters in the nation.
"Inglis is in that squad as a reserve batter, which isn't traditionally what Australia does in home conditions. I think McSweeney will open … but do they stick with the policy they had last year where we want our six best batters in Australia playing in the top six? Josh Inglis at the moment is in the six best batters in Australia. Do they break away from that policy? I think they will," Gilchrist said on Fox Cricket.
"If they stay with that policy, for me, I would say put (Inglis) at the top of the order. I don't see it as too much of a challenge for him, he faces a new ball in white-ball cricket. I don't see it as an issue.
"Nathan McSweeney's a fine-looking player. They see that his game is a little bit more suitable for opening the batting, whereas Josh Inglis knows how to attack. Offence is probably his best form of defence, whereas McSweeney is perhaps the other way around, so he might be more suited to going in and facing the new ball.
"It will be interesting to see. I think (Inglis) is in the squad more as a genuine, all-round, versatile utility that can do a number of jobs," he added.
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