Australia v Sri Lanka 1st Test: Will Pucovski omitted, Kurtis Patterson set to make debut at the Gabba
The stunning omission of Will Pucovski from the Aussie Test side to face Sri Lanka at the Gabba starting tomorrow became a bigger bombshell than the one to include him in the squad in the first place.
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The stunning omission of Will Pucovski from the Australian Test side on Wednesday night became a bigger bombshell than the one to include him in the squad in the first place.
Doubts in the minds of selectors about Australia’s engine room has given them cold feet on blooding the Victorian boy wonder who captain Tim Paine had only hours earlier described as possessing a rare “aura” that promised an exciting shot in the arm for cricket in this country.
Queensland opening specialist Joe Burns has instead been given the nod to return to the fold, with selectors seemingly wary that Australia lacked stiffness at the top of the order, and aware that Usman Khawaja’s favourite position is at No.3.
NSW batsman Kurtis Patterson and West Australian quick Jhye Richardson will debut for Australia in the first Test against Sri Lanka, but it’s the 20-year-old not receiving his baggy green that has created the biggest shock.
The Patterson debut story from outside the original squad is an incredible one in its own right, but ultimately it has bumped the Pucovski fairytale from the ticket.
Pucovski has not only drawn comparisons to Ricky Ponting but just days ago was predicted by the former Test captain to be a certainty for the Gabba.
The present-day captain Paine could not have talked up Pucovski’s attributes anymore on match eve to further highlight the astonishment that one of the most feel-good debuts since Phil Hughes, Michael Clarke and Ponting has been indefinitely postponed.
“It’s exciting to have someone with that kind of talent. For him to be so mature and calm for his age I think it’s really exciting for us as a team and as a country to have someone like that to come in on the scene. It’s been a while,” said Paine in his glowing appraisal of Pucovski.
“He’s got a little bit of an aura about him but as I said, in a really quiet softly spoken kind of way.
“I think the way he goes about his batting is really simple as well and it’s been clear in the nets he’s going to be up to this level. It’s exciting to have someone with that kind of talent.
“Will … is a really calm, composed young man, and a really impressive person. Really confident but quietly confident. Well spoken, well mannered. And just a really good character.
“We’re really excited to have him around this group and Kurtis Patterson is another one who is very similar.”
Sri Lanka exposed the top order of the Cricket Australia XI in Hobart last week, which included Burns.
But selectors have dismissed that poor showing as a one-off and backed in Burns’ overall consistency as a Sheffield Shield opener in Brisbane.
Patterson and Richardson have both come from the clouds to make their debuts against Sri Lanka at the Gabba.
Left out of the original squad, it was an extraordinary break from usual selection process to bring Patterson in at the 11th hour, even after he smashed two unbeaten centuries against Sri Lanka in the tour game.
From the moment he was brought in, he was certain to play.
Richardson was not in the squad for the previous series against India, nor the original squad to face Sri Lanka, yet has leapfrogged fresh reserve Peter Siddle to earn his baggy green.
There was an original feeling that Siddle might be preferred for his talents to thrive under lights, but in the end selectors elected to go with youth and blood a 22-year-old who could potentially play a big role at the World Cup and Ashes series to come.
Matthew Renshaw was the other member of the 14-man squad to miss the final cut.
AUSTRALIA: Marcus Harris, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Kurtis Patterson, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Lyon.
Originally published as Australia v Sri Lanka 1st Test: Will Pucovski omitted, Kurtis Patterson set to make debut at the Gabba