Virat Kohli (AFP Photo)
Australia A lost that series 0-1, and the batter said he wanted to learn from those performances. “But, I think where it counts, especially playing cricket in India, is in that first innings of long-form cricket if you can make a big score there. Not only is it probably easier for batting but also sets up your team to win the game. So, coming back here hopefully I get another opportunity. I’ll be really trying to focus on that.”
Before the one-day series, McSweeney had found it difficult to convert his starts into big scores in the unofficial Test series.
McSweeney scored 194 runs in three innings at an average of 64.66 and a strike rate of 83.62.
“I think I missed out in the first innings of a couple of those games,” McSweeney said. His consistent performances also earned him the Player of the Series award. “We saw anyone that watched the four-day stuff, as the game went on it got really hard to bat. So, I think I got a couple of thirties in the second innings of both those games.
His preparation proved effective as the Australia A batter topped the run charts in the one-day series against India A, helping his team secure a 2-1 win in Puducherry.
Reflecting on the achievement, McSweeney said winning a series in India was a special result for the visiting side. “I’m very pleased to come over here in good conditions and spend some time in the middle, which is always nice and a series win in India is no easy feat by any international team coming over,” McSweeney said. Nathan McSweeney used YouTube videos of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith to prepare for the challenge of batting against spin in India. McSweeney explained that studying how top batters handle spin was an important part of his preparation for the tour. He also relied on analysis and data shared by the team’s support staff. “It’s a very tough place to come and play cricket against tough competition always. So, yeah, well done to our boys and it’s nice to get a series win.”