Australia has decided to reverse their choice of Nathan McSweeney as the opener for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, dropping the South Australia captain just before the last two matches in Melbourne. In his place, they've called up New South Wales teenager Sam Konstas for his first shot at international cricket.

There was some backlash over selecting McSweeney, who usually bats in the middle order, to open the innings, especially given the short leash he was on. With only 72 runs in 6 innings, many fans felt he deserved more time to find his rhythm, particularly in such an important series.

Former Australian player Simon Katich shared his thoughts on SEN Radio, saying, "It's a tough situation. From a consistency standpoint, it doesn't feel right. If you look at how this series has unfolded, several batsmen from both teams at the top have struggled with the moving ball in challenging conditions during the first three Tests."

They really gave Steve Smith and Travis Head the freedom to perform like they did…

India's top order has been a bit wobbly, except for Yashasvi Jaiswal's century and KL Rahul's steady performance. Usman Khawaja, McSweeney's partner, has also faced challenges despite his experience. Katich noted that McSweeney has been doing a solid job in his role, helping his teammates shine even if his own runs haven't been plentiful.

"I don't really agree with the decision to drop McSweeney. In that last Test at the Gabba, the top three did a great job of letting Steve Smith and Travis Head thrive in the middle order by taking on a lot of the pressure from Bumrah and the new ball," Katich explained. McSweeney batted until the 37th over in the first innings in Adelaide and the 19th over in Brisbane, shielding the middle order from the new ball.

Even though he disagrees with the decision made by George Bailey and the team, Katich is optimistic about Sam Konstas making an impact after his selection. "I get why they went with the young guy Konstas; he was already in the mix before the summer started," Katich added.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy rolls on in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test on December 26, with the series tied at 1-1.

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