Kohli homework pays off: Nathan McSweeney's YouTube study powers Australia A to 2-1 one-day series win in India

Nathan McSweeney's unusual preparation method — hours of studying YouTube footage of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith — paid off handsomely in India, with the Australia A batter topping the run charts to help his side seal a 2-1 win in the one-day series against India A in Puducherry.

McSweeney finished the three-match series with 194 runs in three innings at an average of 64.66 and a strike rate of 83.62, and his consistent performances earned him the Player of the Series award.

Studying the masters of spin

McSweeney explained that watching how the greats handle spin was a central part of his preparation for the tour, alongside analysis and data supplied by the team's support staff.

"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 told the host broadcaster after the white-ball series ended on Sunday. "[Watching] Virat Kohli on YouTube trying to study how he goes about it, Steve Smith, other Australians that have come over and done really well. So, there's plenty of analysts and data that we are given as well. So, it's nice to action that out in the middle and execute it fairly well."

The study of Kohli and Smith translated directly into his batting against India's spinners. McSweeney used his feet effectively, played sweeps and stepped out of his crease to disrupt the bowlers' plans, while his ability to play the ball softly into gaps helped him score consistently on challenging surfaces.

Australia A take the series 2-1

Australia A set the tone with a 125-run victory in the series opener, posting 274 before bowling India A out for 149. The visitors made it 2-0 in the second match, scoring 275 and then restricting India A to 206 for a 69-run win.

India A prevented a clean sweep by winning the third match by 49 runs — posting 275 and dismissing Australia A for 226 — but the tourists nevertheless took the series, with McSweeney's batting proving crucial to their success.

"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," McSweeney said. "It's a very tough place to come and play cricket against tough competition always. So, yeah, well done to our boys and it's nice to get a series win."

Eyes on the long format

Before the one-dayers, McSweeney had found it difficult to convert his starts into big scores in the unofficial Test series, which Australia A lost 0-1. He managed a couple of thirties in the second innings of those games, but the batter believes the biggest gains come earlier.

"I think I missed out in the first innings of a couple of those games," he said. "We saw anyone that watched the four-day stuff, as the game went on it got really hard to bat. So, I think I got a couple of thirties in the second innings of both those games. But, I think where it counts, especially playing cricket in India, is in that first innings of long-form cricket if you can make a big score there. Not only is it probably easier for batting but also sets up your team to win the game. So, coming back here hopefully I get another opportunity. I'll be really trying to focus on that."