Sam Konstas, a 19-year-old batting prospect, has been sent home from Sri Lanka before the second Test in Galle. Initially part of the Australian squad, he will now return to Sydney to play for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield competition. This decision follows a call from former Test player Brad Haddin, who suggested Konstas should return after he was left out of the first Test.
Konstas had hoped to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja but instead watched as Josh Inglis debuted, going on to score a century in his first innings. The omission of Konstas bewildered former opener Ed Cowan, who argued that a player cannot learn to face spin effectively without exposure to it.
While Konstas won’t be participating in the second Test, questions linger regarding the Australian batting line-up, particularly concerning out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne, who has struggled in recent matches and faced a peculiar training snub. Speculation grows that he may be replaced by Cooper Connolly, who batted with the main group on Tuesday.
Travis Head expressed optimism about Konstas eventually rejoining the Test squad for upcoming matches, highlighting the strong competition within the team and the desire for a robust Australian lineup.