Australia has booked their place at the World Test Championship finals, and come to Sri Lanka for a 2 Test match series. Australia’s new opening combination has been the talk of the town. Even though Sam Konstas opened during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the tide has changed.
Stand-in captain Steve Smith has announced that Travis Head will be opening the batting for Australia, which is quite a surprise. He has been playing well at number 5, so changing that spot might come in tricky.
Australia’s Opening Combination
Since the departure of David Warner as a Test opener, Australia has found it hard to choose the right opening combination. For the last 2 years, there has been continuous chopping and changing to find the right man.
Although Usman Khawaja has been the stable batter, things have changed at the other end. From Steve Smith to Cameron Green, Nathan McSweeney to Sam Konstas, Australia has tried quite several players.
Smith had taken the opening role until the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but Australia changed even that to bring in new faces. The problems at the top of the order are an issue.
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Steve Smith’s Views on Team Combination
Before the start of Day 1, Steve Smith came out confirming that Travis Head will open the batting for Australia. The stand-in captain further clarified that Head has been looking good with the new ball.
In the Test matches against India, Head did well against the new ball with limited opportunities. Not only that, the selectors are looking for a viable attacking option on the top of the order.
Smith also stated that Sam Konstas will get plenty of practice and experience that will be important for him going forward in Australian cricket. Steve didn’t name the number 5 spot that is going to remain vacant. But, by the talks in the air, Josh Inglis might just get the nod ahead of others.
Travis Head Struggles in Sri Lanka
The followers of Test cricket would know Travis Head has struggled in Sri Lanka. He had a poor ability to play spin in the past. In the 2 Tests played, Head made 23 runs with an average of 7.
An inability to play high-quality spin bowling in spinning tracks has made Australia think differently. With the attacking instinct of Travis, Australia’s new opening combination might be a blessing in disguise.
Predicted Team Combination For Australia
Although Australia’s new opening combination might be a massive surprise for a lot of people, the rest of the team seemed to remain unchanged.
Both of the Test matches will be played in Galle, so expect a massive spin on the 3rd, the 4th, and the 5th day. Australia will be looking to play 3 spinners, one pacer, and a fast-bowling allrounder. Batting does look sorted out with a possible debut of Josh Inglis.
For the pace bowling though, Mitchell Starc would get the go, as he is a left-arm pace bowler. The ability to swing and extract extra pace might just work in his favor.
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