Share

Australia stick with winning combo for second Sri Lanka Test

Canberra - Australia opted on Thursday to stick with a winning combination for the second Test against Sri Lanka, meaning all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and young batting prospect Will Pucovski miss out on making their debut.

The home team routed the Sri Lankans by an innings and 40 runs under lights in the first Test at Brisbane and skipper Tim Paine said there would be no changes.

That includes keeping the under-performing Mitchell Starc as a new-ball bowler.

"We're unchanged which is nice," Paine said ahead of the first-ever Test in Canberra, starting on Friday at the picturesque Manuka Oval on a track regarded as one of the best batting wickets in the country.

"Coming off a good win we are happy with our combination."

Limited-overs specialist Stoinis was added to the squad after Brisbane as a potential fifth bowling option, but Paine said Marnus Labuschagne, who has been in good touch with the bat and can bowl leg-breaks, was preferred.

"This pitch is probably slightly different, we just think that we'll be able to get more overs out of Marnus on a pitch like this," he said.

The Canberra Test is Australia's last before the Ashes tour to England in six months' time and there are still pieces to the puzzle for selectors to solve.

Pace spearhead Starc needs to find form again after a lean summer with his Test spot - once set in stone - now widely seen as under threat.

Despite his struggles, Paine backed him to deliver and said he would open the bowling as usual.

"We've used Starcy for a long time with the new ball," Paine said.

"We think he is still our best new-ball bowler when he gets it right so we'll always give him the first few.

"Hopefully he can swing a few and if he does he's more than likely to get an early breakthrough. But what we have done is bring Pat (Cummins) on a lot earlier than we have in the past."

Josh Hazlewood remains injured and will not play in Canberra, with Jhye Richardson handed another opportunity after performing admirably in the first Test.

Selectors also showed faith with the batting line-up, meaning Pucovski, one of the brightest talents in the country, misses out again as he did in Brisbane.

Australia's batsmen have struggled over the summer, including a series defeat to India, with none managing to score a century.

Teams:

Australia

Marcus Harris, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Kurtis Patterson, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jhye Richardson

Sri Lanka

TBA

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1838 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1805 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1099 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 466 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 258 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE