“There's no way they can look back”: Craddock ranks the openers vying for Aussie Test vacancy

Veteran cricket journalist Robert Craddock thinks Australia must blood a new opener in the upcoming Test series against India.

The vacant position next to Usman Khawaja at the top of the Aussie Test order has been the talk of the cricketing world down under for the last fortnight, and Craddock is now convinced that selectors must pick a player to make their Test debut instead of going back to options that have previously had chances.

One reason why he thinks it’s time for a fresh face is India’s decision not to name Mohammed Shami in their Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad, with the nation’s three preferred quicks most likely to be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep.

Given that Australia’s openers won’t be facing up to India’s one-two punch of Bumrah and Shami with the new red Kookaburra, Craddock called for selectors to be bold and go with NSW’s Sam Konstas or SA’s Nathan McSweeney.

“The loss of India to New Zealand and the fact that Mohammed Shami is not coming out is so significant,” Craddock told SEN Whateley.

“It means it's time to be a little bold because if you've got Bumrah at one end and you've got Shami at the other, that is a classical one-two punch and it's hard to expose a teenager to it.

“However, if you've got Bumrah at one end, there's every chance that the guy at the other end could be someone like Akash Deep or someone like that who would be just as nervous as Sam Konstas coming to Australia and playing over here.

“The third paceman is a mystery, so this is a great chance to blood someone.”

As things stand, selectors will make their call of who will partner Khawaja after the two-game Australia A vs India A series which begins this week and Craddock believes that 19-year-old Konstas might be leading the race so far, just ahead of McSweeney.

He ranked the candidates vying for the position and even placed WA keeper Josh Inglis – who bats in the middle order for his state – ahead of other more experienced openers in Marcus Harris, Cam Bancroft and Matthew Renshaw.

“Australia absolutely positively have to look forward that there's no way they can look back to Bancroft, Harris or Renshaw now,” Craddock said.

“I've got Konstas a shandy ahead of McSweeney, a nose hair in front, I can barely split them.

“Then I've got Inglis behind them, and then I've got Harris and Bancroft.”

While Bancroft and Harris have also been named to face India A in the upcoming series, Gerard Whateley thinks that Konstas and McSweeney should open in those two games with the two former Test batsman filling slots later in the order.

“What I would do because Australia has a very specific need, is open with Konstas and McSweeney,” Whateley said.

“I know that Harris and Bancroft are in that squad, but you’ve got to get the answer, don't you? The two candidates are there in the same game. You’ve got to open them together, don't you?”

“Absolutely, it makes so much sense,” Craddock replied.

The first of two games in the upcoming ‘A’ series begins on Thursday at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena.