Predicting Australia’s XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle

SEN Cricket’s Adam White has tried to predict Australia’s XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle after the 16-man squad was released for the two-match tour on Wednesday.

With Pat Cummins a guaranteed out from Australia’s last Test against India on paternity leave, White also thinks that two other changes will be made with Sam Konstas and Scott Boland also missing out due to conditions suiting spin bowling.

White thinks that Travis Head will move to the top of the order, meaning Konstas drops out, with a specialist middle-order batsman in Josh Inglis replacing the young gun in the XI.

As for the bowling group, White thinks that three specialist spinners will be selected alongside Mitchell Starc.

“I’m going to have a go at the team,” White said on SEN Mornings.

“I think they’ll go with Khawaja and Head opening the batting, with Labuschagne at three and Steve Smith at four.

“I think they’ll go with Inglis at five, then Webster at six and Carey at seven.

“For the bowlers, I think they’ll have Starc, Murphy, Lyon and Kuhnemann.

“That’s what I think the XI will be based on the squad that’s selected.”

While White thinks that Head will go to the top as he did in Australia’s tour to India in 2023, he isn’t sure whether selectors will go in that direction given the flexibility they have with the opener position.

“There has been talk for some time that Travis Head will open the batting, if he does that, what happens at number five?” White asked.

“If Head stays at five, he is probably exposed to spin at the start of his innings which they’re trying to avoid.

“Maybe Khawaja goes to five and Head opens the batting with Konstas … Khawaja who has played a fair bit of cricket in the middle order could go back there.

“I don’t really know.”

White’s predicted Australian XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka

Usman Khawaja  
Travis Head  
Marnus Labuschagne  
Steve Smith (c)  
Josh Inglis (debut)  
Beau Webster  
Alex Carey (wk)  
Mitchell Starc  
Todd Murphy   
Nathan Lyon  
Matt Kuhnemann