Australia’s playing XI for the opening Test of their tour of Sri Lanka has not been officially finalized, but skipper Steve Smith has confirmed that Travis Head will open alongside Usman Khawaja, leaving youngster Sam Konstas out of the opening slot.
Sam Konstas, who made headlines during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia with an impressive half-century on debut and fiery on-field moments, including a verbal spat with Jasprit Bumrah and a shoulder-barge incident with Virat Kohli, will have to wait for another opportunity to make his mark.
Smith, leading in the absence of Pat Cummins, explained the decision to promote Head, citing his strong performances when elevated to the opening position during Australia’s tour of India in 2023.
“Travis will go to the top. Outside of that, I think it will be pretty stable. I don’t see it being a great deal of change from that. The selectors liked what they saw in India when he (Head) had that opportunity. He got after the new ball, scored quickly, and put the pressure on them straight away, so I guess similar thinking here,” Smith said during a press conference on Tuesday.
Sam Konstas Competing for Middle-Order Spot
With Head set to open, Konstas will now compete for a place in the middle order alongside Nathan McSweeney and Josh Inglis. Smith acknowledged Konstas’ potential and emphasized the value of this tour for the 19-year-old’s development, even if he doesn’t make the playing XI.
“He (Konstas) is going to have a lot of practice if he doesn’t play, which in itself is great for development. I only have to think back to 2013 (in India) where I didn’t play the first two Tests, and just the amount of balls I was hitting in the nets and the skills I was able to develop from facing loads of net bowlers and things like that,” Smith added.
“So whether he plays or not, I think it’s going to be a wonderful experience for him.”
Series Schedule
The first Test of the two-match series begins in Galle on Wednesday. Following the Tests, the teams will play two ODIs before flying to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy.
Australia will look to make a strong start in Sri Lanka with a mix of experienced players and emerging talent, as they continue to build towards the Champions Trophy.
