 "Steve Smith to lead Australia in Test series against Sri Lanka due to Pat Cummins' absence")
Steve Smith will lead Australia in the two-match way Test series against Sri Lanka that starts later in January, with Pat Cummins staying back home for the birth of his second child. Cummins is also recovering from an ankle injury.
Nathan McSweeney, Sam Konstas included
Nathan McSweeney keeps his place in the squad despite an underwhelming series against India whereas Sam Konstas also features in the squad. Australia qualified for the final of the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) with a 3-1 series win over India and also regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade. They will face South Africa in the WTC final in June at Lord’s.
Australia’s selectors concentrated on spin for the two Sri Lanka tests, with uncapped 21-year-old Cooper Connolly among the seven full or part-time slow bowling options in the 16-man squad. Connolly, a left-arm allrounder, has represented Australia in limited-overs cricket and has been called up for his maiden Test campaign along with specialist spinners Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann.
McSweeney scored 72 runs at an average of 14.4 in his first three Tests against India, before being replaced by Sam Konstas for the Melbourne Cricket Ground test starting Dec. 26. The 25-year-old McSweeney has batted at No. 3 for South Australia state this season — averaging 97 — but has previously batted further down the order.
Cricket Australia also said Cummins was “focusing on an ankle issue which was managed through the Test summer” and fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood was continuing his recovery from a calf injury. Mitchell Marsh was omitted for the tour, joining Hazlewood in focusing on the 50-overs Champion’s Trophy in Pakistan which immediately follows the Test tour.
The first Test begins on 29 January and the second on 6 February, both at spin-friendly Galle International Stadium. A one-off one-day international is scheduled for 13 February, also at Galle.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to tour given the different conditions players may be presented with,” selector George Bailey said. “This squad provides several ways to structure the XI depending on what type of wickets we may encounter in each match.”
Australia squad for Sri Lanka Tests: Steve Smith (captain), 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.
With inputs from The Associated Press
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