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Australia vice-captain Travis Head is cautiously optimistic about the churn in the new WTC cycle. (Reuters)
After losing the World Test Championship final against South Africa earlier this month, Australian skipper Pat Cummins spoke of the need for a ‘reset’ of the Test side. The first taste of the set of changes that are likely to set in for that greatly successful team will be felt in the three-match series in the West Indies, which kicks off in Barbados on Wednesday.
Australia vice-captain Travis Head is cautiously optimistic about the churn. “When we get into the game, it’ll be a little bit new look,” he was quoted as saying ahead of the start of the series by ESPNCricinfo. “But guys have already played, so (they have) experience already in a short amount of Test cricket. There’s some guys there that have been a part of the group for a long time now, so it shouldn’t feel too much different.”
What will that ‘new look’ consist of exactly?
With unpredictability persisting about the conditions, their bowling order may yet to be decided, but it is the top order of their batting – the latest weak link for the team – that will see a real shake-up. With Marnus Labuschagne, struggling for form, dropped and Steve Smith, the only real bright light in their batting recently, set to miss at least one Test due to a finger injury, new faces will emerge.
19-year-old opener Sam Konstas, who made a strong impression on after making his debut during Australia’s 3-1 series win over India in January, has been given the nod. So too has the more experienced, and more white-ball friendly, Josh Inglis. The two of them will be in the top three alongside 38-year-old veteran Usman Khawaja, himself under pressure to snap a recent barren run, In Smith’s absence, Head may be moved up to the No. 4 spot. If conditions are spinning, like those in the subcontinent, Head may even be called upon to open the batting.
Head is upbeat about his new colleagues, especially Inglis, who scored a hundred on Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year, and could find a regular position in the side if he has a good series. “(Inglis) can cover so many bases. (He had had) limited opportunity in a long time being in the squad. It feels like he’s played a lot more than he has for Australia,” Head said, adding: “Once he gets his extended stay in the team, I think he’ll excel.”
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