Travis Head to Replace Sam Konstas as Opener for Sri Lanka Tests, Confirms Steve Smith

Galle: Travis Head will replace Sam Konstas as Australia’s opening batter to partner Usman Khawaja in the first Test against Sri Lanka, which begins on Wednesday, confirmed captain Steve Smith.

However, Australia has yet to confirm their playing XI, with Smith mentioning that the final lineup would be delayed due to the constantly changing nature of the Galle pitch.

Konstas impressed in his first two Tests, helping Australia secure their first series win over India in a decade. Nevertheless, Head’s strong performances when stepping in for injured opener David Warner during the final two Tests of Australia’s recent subcontinent tour to India in 2023 earned him a spot as an opener for this series.

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“Travis will go to the top, outside of that I think it will be pretty stable. I don’t see 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 pressure on them straight away, so I guess similar thinking here,” Smith told reporters ahead of Australia’s final pre-Test training session.

It remains unclear whether Konstas will retain his place in the middle order. Nathan McSweeney and Josh Inglis are also in contention for the spot vacated by Head’s promotion.

“He’s 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. So whether he plays or not, I think it’s going to be a wonderful experience for him,” Smith added.