Cricket: Travis Head tips Sam Konstas to return for WTC final

Travis Head believes Sam Konstas will open the batting for Australia in the World Test Championship final despite being left out of both Tests on their tour of Sri Lanka.

The 19-year-old burst onto the scene in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy late last year, drawing international headlines with a swashbuckling 60 runs from 65 balls on debut against a strong Indian bowling attack.

While Konstas only went on to make a further 53 runs over his next three innings, he was widely touted as a future star for his country.

But in Australia’s following series against Sri Lanka, Head and Usman Khawaja were given the nod ahead of Konstas at the top of the order.

Head does not anticipate this will be a long-term scenario, however, with the South Australian predicting he will slide back down the order to make room for Konstas.

“Most likely I’d go back in the middle order and Sam would open,” Head said after Australia’s win in the opening Test in Galle.

“But I’m glad I’m not a selector.

“Josh (Inglis) has had an amazing start, the guys are playing well, Greeny’s (Cameron Green) going to be fit.

“So it’s going to be hard to fit them all in.

“I think that’s what we want. We want an Australian cricket team that’s tough to get in.

“I think that’s all we’ve ever known is players that are unlucky and players that are in the team and expecting good performances.

“And that’s where the pressure comes from, it’s trying to hold your spot every Test, knowing that there’s people behind you.

“We’re in a strong position. It’s better having seven or eight batters talked about than three or four.”

The second Test between Australia and Sri Lanka begins on Thursday in Galle, with the visitors having recorded their largest-ever victory in the subcontinent in the opener last week (an innings and 242 runs).

Cricket betting sites have Australia heavy favourites at $1.53 to wrap up the series 2-0.

However, stand-in captain Steve Smith is taking no chances, which is part of the reason the inexperienced Konstas was left out.

“I know there was a little bit of talk around whether he might play or not, whether there’s a series that, I guess, you can blood him,” Smith said.

“I don’t think there’s been a Test match in the history that they’ve blooded someone or thought there was a free hit.

“We’re here to win 2-0.”

However, Smith also echoed Head’s view that Konstas will play a role in future Australian sides.

“Sam’s a big part of where we’re going,” he said.

“There’s no doubt about it.

“Whether he played or not played, it’s great to have him here and great to have him experience the conditions.

“For someone to come in and take the game on the way he did in Melbourne, the confidence he’s got, it’s a good thing to have a young kid around that’s a bit naive and just plays the game the right way.

“He’s got a huge future for Australia.

“It’ll just be how he, over the years, deals with adversity.

“At this stage, he looks like he deals with it really well.”

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