Australia in Sri Lanka: Travis Head to replace Sam Konstas as Aussie opener as Josh Inglis waits in the wings

Travis Head will replace Sam Konstas at the top of Australia’s batting order for the first Sri Lanka Test despite the teenager’s heroics in the triumphant India series.

Captain Steve Smith would not rule out finding a place for Konstas elsewhere in the order for the match that begins in Galle on Wednesday, with a vacancy now open at No.5.

Konstas impressed in his first two Tests to help Australia secure a first series win over India in a decade.

However, the 19-year-old phenom has never batted lower than three in his 13 first-class matches with WA gloveman Josh Inglis now firmly in the frame for a Test debut.

Inglis ran the drinks all summer during the Border-Gavaskar series before picking up a calf injury while sub-fielding during the Boxing Day Test but was in top form averaging 72.60 with two hundreds from his six innings in this year’s Shield.

Last season he averaged more than 50 and is viewed as a good player of spin having spent most of his first-class career in the middle order while Konstas is largely untested against a turning ball.

Head’s supreme efforts as an opener on the previous subcontinent tour in 2023 were enough to win him the spot next to Usman Khawaja.

Head averaged 55.75 runs across two-and-a-half Tests replacing David Warner on that India tour, two years ago.

“He did really nicely in India against the new ball. He put spinners under pressure immediately and we know how well he hits the seam as well if they come with that,” Smith said.

“It’s going to be good fun watching him.”

Konstas, Nathan McSweeney and Inglis all appear in contention for the middle-order vacancy created by Head’s promotion.

McSweeney struggled facing Indian pace ace Jasprit Bumrah as an opener in the first three Tests of the India series but bats in the middle order for South Australia.