Sam Konstas officially axed as Australia rolls dice for first Test against Sri Lanka

Australia has officially abandoned the Sam Konstas experiment, with selectors making a series of massive changes for the first Test.

Sam Konstas has officially been axed for the first Test.

The writing was on the wall for the swashbuckling opener when Steve Smith confirmed Travis Head would open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja in Galle.

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It then came to light hours before the toss of the coin on Wednesday afternoon that selectors have made the call to hand Josh Inglis his Test debut — at Konstas’ expense.

Inglis has been called in to bat in the middle order and it is a decision that Bharat Sundaresan suggested had been the plan all week.

The veteran cricket reporter shared a picture of Inglis taking catches on the boundary on the eve of the first Test and said it pointed to him coming into the side for Konstas.

“You wouldn’t be taking boundary catches on the eve of a Test if you’re otherwise a wicketkeeper unless you’re playing the next day as a specialist batter,” Sundaresan wrote on X.

Sam Konstas has been dropped for the first Test against Sri Lanka. Image: AFP/Bharat Sundaresan on X

Sundaresan also confirmed Konstas didn’t bat in the nets during the Aussies’ training session, while Inglis did.

Stand-in captain Steve Smith won the toss and chose to bat, confirming big quick Scott Boland has been dropped from the team that secured the Border-Gavaskar trophy at the SCG this month in favour of a spin-heavy line-up.

Todd Murphy and left-armer Matthew Kuhnemann make up a three-pronged spin attack with veteran Nathan Lyon, leaving Mitchell Starc as the lone pace bowler, with support from all-rounder Beau Webster.

While Ricky Ponting felt dropping Konstas was a mistake, fellow former Aussie Test captain Tim Paine on Wednesday morning said it was the right move.

“It’s disappointing for all of us who like watching the way Sam Konstas has gone about it,” he said on SEN radio.

“But it’s the right decision for today. It’s also great for Sam Konstas to go to the subcontinent too and experience those conditions, which he’s never done.”

Sam Konstas won’t feature against Sri Lanka. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

Smith said on Tuesday he supported the move to promote Head to the top of the order.

“Trav will go to the top, outside of that I think it will be pretty stable,” Smith told reporters prior to Australia’s final pre-Test training session.

“I don’t see it being a great deal of change from that. The selectors liked what they saw in India when he (Head) had that opportunity.

“He got after the new ball, scored quickly and put the pressure on them straight away so I guess similar thinking here.”

Head opened the batting with some success against India during a Test tour of the subcontinent in 2023 and has been given the nod once again, with a spin heavy approach expected.

Selectors also reportedly left their decision on the make-up of Australia’s bowling attack down to the last-minute.

Scott Boland is the odd-man out yet again, with selectors roll the dice with the three spinners and Starc on a typically spin friendly wicket in Galle.

Starc has always been favoured in subcontinental conditions and again got the nod over Boland.

Scott Boland has been dropped, despite starring against India. (Photo by Morgan Hancock – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

However, Starc has also been under an injury cloud and Kuhnemann was also in doubt as he recovered from a hand injury, but both have made the starting XI.

The selection news is a bitter blow for Konstas, who showcased his raw batting talent in two Test triumphs that secured Australia’s first series win over India in a decade.

Konstas showed no fear against the world’s top bowler Jasprit Bumrah, with a range of flashy shots in his first innings at the MCG before getting the Aussies off on the right foot in what was the series-winning run chase in Sydney.

And while Konstas surely would have liked an extended run as Test opener to establish himself in that role, he can take it from Smith that even being part of a subcontinent tour can do him the world of good.

Originally published as Sam Konstas officially axed as Australia rolls dice for first Test against Sri Lanka