Melbourne, Aug 7 (NationPress) Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney have been selected for the Australia A squad to participate in the two red-ball four-day matches against India A this September, focusing on Australia’s upcoming 2027 Test tour rather than the imminent Ashes.

Young talent Oliver Peake and promising Victorian opener Campbell Kellaway have also made the team. However, standout players from the recent Australia A series against Sri Lanka A, including Jake Weatherald, Jason Sangha, and Kurtis Patterson, have not been selected.

Veteran openers with Test experience, such as Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matt Renshaw, have also been omitted. Renshaw has toured India for Tests twice, while Bancroft notably scored 150 against an India A team featuring nine Test players during a previous Australia A tour in 2015.

The performances during the September tour against India A are not expected to influence the selection for the Ashes, as national selectors have indicated that the first three rounds of the Sheffield Shield will be the primary factor. Rather, the Australia A squad seems to be assembled with a longer-term vision, aiming to expose younger cricketers to Indian conditions ahead of Australia’s five-Test tour scheduled for January-February 2027. By then, the composition of Australia’s top six could undergo significant changes, with Usman Khawaja likely retiring and Steven Smith approaching 38 years of age in June that year.

Chairman of selectors George Bailey remarked, "The subcontinent presents unique challenges, giving players a chance to hone various skills with bat and ball. We hope that repeated exposure to these conditions will help players develop effective methodologies and a deeper understanding of their game for future subcontinent tours."

Todd Murphy, a Test off-spinner who took 14 wickets in four Tests during the 2023 India tour, including a remarkable seven-wicket haul on debut in Nagpur, has been included in the squad. He will be joined by fellow off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who previously toured with Australia A and trained at the MRF Academy last year. Both players missed the recent series against Sri Lanka A due to commitments in county cricket in England.

Cooper Connolly, a left-arm spinning all-rounder who made his Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year, will get the chance to further enhance his skills in subcontinent conditions. Seam-bowling all-rounders Aaron Hardie, Liam Scott, and Jack Edwards—the latter receiving his first Australia A call-up—have also been chosen.

Fast bowlers Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett, both under central contract with Cricket Australia, have been included alongside Fergus O'Neill, the leading wicket-taker in the recent Sheffield Shield season. Josh Philippe is the only designated wicketkeeper in the four-day squad.

Connolly, Murphy, Hardie, Edwards, and Scott will remain with the squad for the three-match 50-over series, while Bartlett, Kellaway, Konstas, McSweeney, Morris, O'Neill, Peake, Philippe, and Rocchiccioli will only play in the two four-day matches in Lucknow before returning to Australia for the Sheffield Shield's opening round, commencing on October 4.

Fraser-McGurk secured a position in the squad after being dropped from Australia’s ODI team and might take on wicketkeeping responsibilities for the first time in his List A career, with Shaw being the only other designated keeper in the white-ball squad. He has been groomed as a backup wicketkeeper for the T20I setup, having collaborated closely with Australia’s fielding and keeping coach, Andre Borovec, on recent tours.

Although captains have yet to be announced, there are ample leadership options. The touring group includes three current state captains—McSweeney, Edwards, and Sutherland—while Hardie has prior captaincy experience with Australia A in New Zealand and has led the Perth Scorchers in the BBL.

Bailey stated, "For many of these players, we are also interested in their development in short-form cricket, but balancing priorities meant we wanted them back and available for the start of the Sheffield Shield season. This opens opportunities for Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Tanveer Sangha, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, and Callum Vidler to participate in the one-day matches in Kanpur."

Australia A four-day squad: Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Aaron Hardie, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Fergus O'Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott.

Australia A one-day squad: Cooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Callum Vidler.