Cam Bancroft to miss out on opening spot in first Australia A clash against India A

Selectors have sprung a surprise and will bat Cam Bancroft at No.3 in the first Australia A match in a blow to his bid for a Test recall.

Bancroft has been listed behind fellow contenders Marcus Harris and Sam Konstas for the match against India A in McKay, which began on Thursday morning.

Australia A won the toss and elected to bowl, pushing back the highly-touted bat-off between Bancroft, Harris, Konstas and Nathan McSweeney until at least this afternoon.

The West Australian has confirmed the team sheet, which has McSweeney at four, is the order they will bat in this match.

Bancroft has endured a horror run of Sheffield Shield form so far this season, but there is a groundswell of support from Western Australia for him to be recalled for the first time in five years.

The 31-year-old had been widely expected to open the batting with Harris in this match.

Konstas began the domestic season with two centuries in the same match against South Australia to rocket into Test calculations.

South Australian quick Jordan Buckingham has taken two early wickets in the match, leaving India 2-32 after 13 overs and almost an hour of play.

Australian coach Andrew McDonald said they would remain “open-minded” to giving players chances at the top through the two-match series.

And he said this match won’t entirely shape selection.

“I don’t buy into a bat-off. I love the fact that people do, it creates a lot of hype around it, it’s good for the game,” McDonald told SEN.

“But there is a lot of context that goes around the performances over the journey for every player and obviously Sam’s journey has only been six first-class games, Marcus Harris 100-plus, Cameron Bancroft 100-plus and Nathan McSweeney somewhere in the middle of that.

“All of them are at different stages of their career and all equally very good first-class cricketers and we’re hoping one of them can make the leap into a Test opener.

“We have got three openers three openers that open in shield cricket and we have got only two slots. We will be open-minded around opportunities for players within that.

“That’s the challenge of picking three openers and potentially Nathan McSweeney, who is entering into that opening conversation as well.

“There has been great success with No.3s going to open, so we don’t see that as too far apart.”

McDonald said they had still not made a call, with selectors set to wait until after next week’s second match at the MCG.

“There’s a clear debate happening around the nation, as it always does when it comes to selection, about who should open with Usman Khawaja and we haven’t answered that question yet,” he said.

“We have been on the record that we will answer it at the right time and we will give everyone a heads up as to what that looks like.

“But really excited for the opportunity that presents for those players that have been mentioned.”

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said it doesn’t matter where players bat and believes they will be considered if they make big scores, regardless of where they come from.

“It doesn’t really matter for me who opens or not in these A games. You can read a lot into it, but the bottom line is just put a big score up,” he told the Willow Talk podcast.

“Don’t get a 100, get 150. We have seen guys in the past dominate an Australia A series and get an opportunity to play for Australia.

“No matter if you’re batting one, two, four or seven, just put some big numbers up.

“I love the talk about Konstas and McSweeney. I like that these two young kids have thrown their name in front of George Bailey with old-fashioned runs.

“I love when there is an opportunity there, and we have known about this for some time, two young kids come out and shoot the lights out.”

Haddin also believes Bancroft and Harris are still in selectors’ thinking, despite having both played Test cricket before.

“Bancroft’s form last year was outstanding. He dominated State cricket and that is what you want from your fringe players,” he said.

“I think Marcus Harris was the last reserve batter to go on a tour, so they are obviously still in the plans, it’s just been Konstas and McSweeney have put their name in the mix with performances.

“It’s good to have a bit of pressure going into an Australia A game, you want to go in and see how these guys respond.”