Ponting Advocates for Australia to Stand By Konstas Throughout Sri Lanka Tour

As Australia has already secured their spot in the ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa, they are set to embark on their tour of Sri Lanka with an air of confidence and relaxation. The first Test of the two-match series is set to commence from January 29 onwards in the city of Galle.

Australia is reportedly considering shuffling their order keeping Sri Lanka's spinning conditions in mind, with Travis Head opening the innings with Usman Khawaja, which will keep Konstas out of the playing eleven after an exciting start to his career at Melbourne during the Boxing Day Test which saw him fearlessly tonk Jasprit Bumrah on his way to a half-century. He scored a total of 113 runs in four innings and won acclaim for his positive intent and ability to get under the skin of Indian bowlers, something the Australian players are known for.

Speaking ahead of the first Test starting from Galle on August 29, the Seven commentator Ponting said about Konstas as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald, "I think they will pick Konstas and I think they should pick Konstas. He is the one they have identified, he has hit the ground running here in his first innings as well. He provided a lot of entertainment and a lot of buzz around that whole series ." "I think they need to play him, to be honest. It is a hard place to play and a hard place to win. It will be a hard place to bat for all of our guys, but especially some of the younger guys who have not experienced those conditions much in the past. But I think they should pick him, it will be a great learning experience for him," he added.

Ponting said that during the SL tour, Konstas will get to know what it is like to be a travelling cricketer and how hard it is to play in different parts of the world.

"I would be picking him if I was a selector," he added.

While Ponting said that the move to have Travis open will suit the in-form left-hander since he could tonk the pacers before the arrival of spinners, it is important to give Konstas the experience in Sri Lanka so that he can be a long-term opener.

"I think the order will stay the same. I think it will be the same with the option they have is maybe playing another spinner. They will have Beau Webster there who will give the seam-up overs, one of the quicks is going to miss out, so Cooper Connolly might find himself in a 7 or 8 batting spot and bowling a few overs as well," he added.

Sri Lanka Test series v Australia:-January 29 to February 2 - Galle.-February 6 to February 10 - Galle.

Australia Squad: Steve Smith , Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head , Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

Stay informed with the latest updates on live cricket score, cricket players, match schedules and ICC rankings. Keep an eye on your favourite cricket team, including the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Check out the cricket schedule, WTC 2025 Points Table track team standings and dive into player stats and rankings on Crickit powered by Hindustan Times website and app. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }