Australia vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test: Steve Smith Confirms Travis Head’s Batting Position; Check Details
Stand-in captain Steve Smith confirmed on the eve of the first Test that attacking batter Travis Head will open for Australia against Sri Lanka in Galle. This decision ends speculation about Khawaja’s opening partner, with Head set to replace teenage rookie Sam Konstas at the top of the order.
Australia will finalise their playing XI for the first ICC World Test Championship contest against Sri Lanka at the coin toss in Galle on Wednesday.
“Trav 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,” Smith said.
Smith further highlighted the selectors’ confidence in Head, particularly after his impressive showing in India.
“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,” he added.
With the No.5 spot now vacant, the stand-in captain of Australia did not rule out the possibility of Konstas filling that position.
“He’s going to have a lot of practice if he doesn’t play, which in itself is great for development,” Smith said of Konstas.
“So whether he plays or not, I think it’s going to be a wonderful experience for him. He’s going to learn a lot,” he added.
Apart from Konstas, the other contender for the now vacant No.5 spot include Nathan McSweeney, who had a challenging start to his Test career as an opener during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, losing his place after three matches but earning a recall as an auxiliary batter for the Sri Lanka tour.
Additionally, uncapped keeper-batter Josh Inglis is being considered as a potential option for his Test debut.
Meanwhile, Smith confirmed that he had recovered well from the elbow injury that he suffered while playing in the Big Bash League.
“Fortunately it was all mainly muscle, it settled down pretty quickly. I’m actually batting without tape,” he said.
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