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Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has come down hard on the selectors over changes in the squad for the remaining two BGT Tests against India. George Bailey-led selection committee made a massive call by dropping makeshift opener Nathan McSweeney while bringing in uncapped opener Sam Konstas. They also included Jhye Richardson as a backup seamer despite losing Josh Hazlewood to injury. Australia have won just one of the first three Tests at the Adelaide Oval, losing the series opener in Perth, with the rain playing spoilsport at the Gabba in Brisbane. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli to settle in London with family, confirms childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma With more than a series win on the line - a spot in the WTC Final 2025 being the ultimate goal, Australia must push hard to win the remaining two Tests at the MCG and SCG, respectively, and for that, they must play their best cricket right from the top to see results going their way. However, neither McSweeney nor the 38-year-old Usman Khawaja has succeeded, barring the first innings in Adelaide, where the newcomer impressed under the lights. Losing wickets upfront cost Australia big time in three Tests as despite the schedule, formed to put India on the back foot from game one, the hosts find themselves nowhere near a commanding position. In an effort to put all that to rest, the selectors took some harsh calls, including dropping McSweeney and replacing him with uncapped Konstas. "Nathan McSweeney has been dropped. I can't believe that," Michael Clarke said on the Beyond 23 Cricket podcast. "No matter who they picked in that opening position, they had to give them the series. I think the selectors have got this wrong." "We've got Usman Khawaja, who is 38 years old, and he's made no runs. He's a senior player. We've got Marnus Labuschagne, who, before the series was under pressure and has made one decent score. Steve Smith batted like a genius to make a hard-fought hundred, but he's also been under pressure. Everyone apart from McSweeney is over 30 years of age, some in their high 30s,” the ex-Aussie skipper pointed out. Clarke knows Khawaja isn’t around for more than a year and sounds worried about the opening chaos once he departs. Speaking on the same lines, Michael said though he wishes the best for the left-hander, wanting him to score runs and hundreds and contribute to the team’s success, he understands the scenario Australia would be in with two newcomers playing at the top. "What happens if Usman Khawaja retires in two Test matches? Does McSweeney then come back in, or does he go to the back of the queue? They've got to come out and say, ‘We made a mistake picking him,'" Clarke said. On Konstas, Clarke said, “I hope he walks out there, lives his dream; makes a hundred on debut. Something like that would be amazing.” Meanwhile, with the five-match series tied at 1-1 after three Tests, all eyes will be on the remaining two, with the Boxing Day Test starting on December 26. Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head (vc), Steve Smith (vc), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc and Beau Webster (With inputs from agencies) None
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