MELBOURNE, Dec 21, (V7N)– Australian opener Nathan McSweeney expressed his disappointment on Saturday after being dropped from the national team following just three Tests against India. Despite his initial excitement at stepping into the shoes of retired veteran David Warner, McSweeney struggled to make an impact, with a top score of only 39 across his appearances.

The 25-year-old was left out of Australia's 15-man squad for the final two Tests of the five-match series, which is tied 1-1.

"Devastated but Determined"

"Devastated. I get the dream come true and then it didn't quite work out the way I wanted," McSweeney told Channel Seven. "It's all part of it, and I'll get my head down, get back in the nets, and work really hard. Hopefully, I'll be ready to go for my next opportunity."

Acknowledging the competitive nature of international cricket, McSweeney added, "If you don't take your opportunity and you're not performing as well as you want to, your position's never safe."

Sam Konstas Set for Potential Debut

In McSweeney's place, 19-year-old Sam Konstas has been called up for the first time. The teen prodigy is now the favorite to open alongside Usman Khawaja in the iconic Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. If selected, Konstas would become Australia's youngest Test debutant since current captain Pat Cummins debuted at 18 in Johannesburg in 2011.

Middle-order batsman Josh Inglis and all-rounder Beau Webster have also been included in the squad as alternative options.

Selector's Tough Call

Chief selector George Bailey admitted that dropping McSweeney was a "really hard decision" but emphasized the need for Australia to "throw something different" at India's pace attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah.

The series resumes on December 26, with both teams vying to gain the upper hand in the evenly contested showdown.

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