Australia A Name Strong Squad For India A Series In Puducherry Ahead Of 2027 Test Tour, With Konstas And McSweeney Included

Sydney: Australia on Tuesday named a 14-member squad, featuring several players with senior international experience, including pacer Ben Dwarshuis, Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney, for their series against India A in Puducherry later this month.

Cricket Australia’s (CA) National Selection Panel said the tour holds great importance as it looks to expose players to subcontinental conditions and prepare them for the challenges of playing in India.

A stand out performance in the red ball series will make a strong case for selection in the five Tests in India early next year.

Australia A will play two four-day matches and three one-day games, all in Puducherry. The first four-day game will begin on September 22, with the second unofficial Test scheduled to start on September 29.

The unofficial ODIs will be played on October 6, 9 and 11.

CA chairman George Bailey said the tour was particularly important with the senior Australian team set to tour India next year.

“We are excited by these squads and what they might achieve out of the series. Many of these players have played international cricket, whilst for others it’s a continuation of previous opportunities across Australia A and CAXI formats," said Bailey.

Peter Handscomb, Brendan Doggett, Konstas, McSweeney, Jhye Richardson and Todd Murphy have all played Test and international cricket while Mitch Owen, Jack Edwards, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Phillipe, Aaron Hardie, Nikhil Chaudhary and Mahli Beardman have played in ODI or T20 Internationals.

“We consider these tours an important part of performance and developing game styles in sub-continent conditions as part of our continued investment into the Australia A program.

“It’s a strong representation of players who will be in contention to be part of the group we take to India next year or see as having potential for further opportunities into the future,” he added.

Squads:

Australia A – four-day matches: Brendan Doggett, Jack Edwards, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott.

Australia A – one-day games: Mahli Beardman, Nikhil Chaudhary, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitch Owen, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachlan Shaw. 

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