Australia Test squad revealed for Sri Lanka tour | Sporting News Australia

by Admin
January 9, 2025

Australian selectors have elected to pick a youthful 16-man Test squad for the side’s tour of Sri Lanka, which begins later this month.

The two-match series will see a raft of changes from the team which beat India on home soil to capture the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade.

Pat Cummins will miss the tour as he prepares to welcome his second child with his partner, while Mitch Marsh has been overlooked after enduring a tough summer with the bat and ball.

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Australia Test squad revealed for Sri Lanka tour

Steve Smith will skipper the side in Cummins’ absence, as expected. Although there are plenty of surprises within the squad.

Cooper Connolly is a bolter with the Western Australian product called into the set-up despite playing just four first-class games.

The young gun, who has captained his nation at the under-19 World Cup and is currently the leading run-scorer in the Big Bash League, shows a clear sign of the selectors looking to the future.

The 21-year-old has shown plenty of ability with the bat as well as offering left-arm finger spin and could make a dream debut during the tour.

Sam Konstas will join him after experiencing an explosive start to his Test career against India, which saw him become public enemy number one for the visitors after his spats with Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.

Elsewhere, Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann will join Nathan Lyon in being frontline spin options, while Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland will provide the pace.

Josh Hazlewood hasn’t been included as he continues to recover from a calf injury he sustained during the summer.

Instead, Sean Abbott will provide depth for the two experienced seamers as he closes in on making his long-awaited Test debut.

Beau Webster has kept his spot after excelling as an all-rounder during the fifth and final Test against India at the SCG. His inclusion remains bad news for Marsh with the WA-product overlooked.

However, it’s better news for Nathan McSweeney who was also dropped during the most recent series. The batter has been retained in the squad and could be set for a shot at redemption in Sri Lanka.

Veterans Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne have been named, alongside fellow first-team regulars in Travis Head and Alex Carey.

“Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to tour given the different conditions players may be presented with,” Australia’s Chair of Selectors George Bailey said.

“This squad provides several ways to structure the XI depending on what type of wickets we may encounter in each match.

“We are excited about the opportunity ahead for the squad members who are at the start of their Test careers to continue to grow their games in subcontinent conditions where we have a number of important tours in coming years.”