Australia A batter Nathan McSweeney played a crucial role in his team’s 2-1 victory over India A in the three-match unofficial ODI series in Puducherry. The right-hander finished as the leading run-scorer with 194 runs, becoming the only batter from either side to register a century during the series. McSweeney revealed that he studied videos of Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli and Australian veteran Steve Smith on YouTube to prepare for the challenges of playing spin in Indian conditions.

Speaking about his preparations, Nathan McSweeney explained that facing spin bowling remains a major challenge for Australian players touring India. He carefully observed how experienced batters handled spin and used the insights to improve his own approach. “I think obviously coming to India as an Australian, it’s a heavy spin focus and you try and work hard and watch the great Indian players on how they play spin,” McSweeney said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

He added that he also studied Steve Smith and other Australian batters who had performed well in India, alongside analysing data and guidance provided by the team’s support staff.

ALSO READ: Shamar Springer Reveals West Indies’ Plan B To Counter Abhishek Sharma In 3rd T20I

Before the one-day matches, McSweeney featured in two four-day red-ball games against India A. However, he endured a difficult start, recording a duck in his first innings before scoring 35, 34 and 36 in his next three innings. Australia A lost the red-ball series 0-1. The batter acknowledged that batting becomes increasingly challenging as a match progresses in Indian conditions, particularly when the pitch begins to deteriorate.

“I think I missed out in the first innings of a couple of those games,” Nathan McSweeney said, explaining that his later contributions came when batting conditions had become tougher. He believes making a substantial contribution in the first innings is particularly important in India, as it gives a team a better chance of building a winning position.

McSweeney is determined to apply those lessons if he gets another opportunity to play red-ball cricket in India. The 26-year-old was pleased with Australia A’s performance in the unofficial ODI series, highlighting the difficulty of winning matches against Indian opposition on home soil.

ALSO READ: Yuzvendra Chahal Explains Abhishek Sharma’s Consistency and Why He Is A Match-Winner in T20 Cricket

“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,” he said. McSweeney’s performances in Puducherry provided valuable experience against Indian bowling conditions. His preparation, including studying Kohli and Smith, also demonstrated how young Australian batters are looking to learn from established players before taking on the challenges of international cricket in India.