Australia's Nathan McSweeney Ready To Face The Challenge Of Test Cricket

Perth, Nov 12 (PTI): Australia opener Nathan McSweeney, set to debut against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has expressed his confidence to handle the unique challenge of facing star pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

McSweeney was drafted into the Australian squad after a series of impressive performances in the Sheffield Shield tournament and the recent 'A' series against India. The 25-year-old South Australian will partner Usman Khawaja at the top in the series opener in Perth.

"The challenge is there, no question about that," McSweeney said ahead of Monday's Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener. "I'm just looking forward to putting my back foot to it."

The new opening batter has been watching Bumrah's bowling clips to be mentally prepared for the task. McSweeney praised Bumrah as one of the best bowlers in the world and acknowledged that it would be hard to replicate his bowling action.

However, he is confident about his game and believes he is batting the best he ever have. "I'm feeling like I'm the best I've ever been prepared to take this opportunity [at international level]," McSweeney said.

With the debut of McSweeney in the 1st Test against India, Australia has got a new face at the top of their batting order, steps into the shoes of retired opener David Warner. The right-hander is looking forward to learning from his experiences and challenging his game against top opposition.

The Australian opener would be facing a tough challenge with a plethora of quality bowlers in the Indian squad including Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Umesh Yadav. But McSweeney has revealed that he is well prepared and eager to prove himself on international level at Test cricket.