Australia’s selectors have rushed to explain why they dropped Sam Konstas for Josh Inglis in Sri Lanka, after choosing to shuffle Travis Head to the top of the order alongside Usman Khawaja in spinning conditions.
Konstas took the news of his omission with good grace, offering to come to the ground early to help with preparation for the team on match day. But to leave him out for these games, with the World Test Championship final looming at Lord’s in mid-year, was to raise plenty of queries back home, not least from Ricky Ponting.
Sam Konstas has been dropped from the first Test in Galle. Credit: Getty Images
Tony Dodemaide, the selector on duty in Galle, briefed the touring press before play to explain why Konstas had been left out and Inglis promoted – the 29-year-old had his baggy green cap presented by Geoff Marsh, as his family looked on.
“We haven’t won here in 14 years and that’s a point of pride for everybody and also we hold every bilateral series at the moment and this group is very proud of that. So the starting point was we’re here to win the series,” Dodemaide said in reference to a series defeat in 2016 and a tied series in 2022.
“The way we structured in India was very effective with Travis at the top and that’s where his value is. That created an opportunity lower down the order and Josh we felt has a very proactive game, a very skilful batter in his own right.
“He’s also very busy, a disruptive player, he’s got options on both sides of the wicket particularly against spin, he’s played a lot on the subcontinent as well, and we felt he deserved that opportunity.”
Dodemaide echoed the sentiments of acting captain Steve Smith that Konstas would learn much from training here even if he does not play. Fellow tyros Cooper Connolly and Ollie Peake are on the tour for their development.
“Leaving Sammy out was very difficult, there was a long discussion there, but we feel he’s on a remarkable journey, a hugely talented player,” Dodemaide said. “He hasn’t played a lot in this part of the world but he’ll learn quickly and the opportunity to have him here … it’s an investment in the future to spend time around Smith, Khawaja, Labuschagne and see how they go about it here.
“There’s a lot to like and be impressed about Sam. One of the things is his ability to take things in his stride. It’s remarkable really, whether it’s playing in front of 90,000 and Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG or getting told that you’re left out of the Test. He was like, ‘Oh yeah mate, no stress. I get it’.”
