Australia announce Test squad for Sri Lanka tour, Steve Smith to lead

Australia has announced its squad for the upcoming two-Test match series in Sri Lanka, starting on January 29. The 16-member squad includes some fresh faces and notable omissions, with Steven Smith taking over as captain in Pat Cummins' absence.

Cummins, Australia's regular skipper, will remain at home for the birth of his second child and to recover from an ankle injury sustained during the home summer. 21-year-old all-rounder, Cooper Connolly has earned his first Test call-up, while Nathan McSweeney makes a comeback. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has also been added to the roster and will join Todd Murphy and Nathan Lyon to form a strong spin trio, for the spin-friendly pitches in Galle, where both Tests will be played.

Selectors have opted for just three fast bowlers, including Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, and Sean Abbott—along with all-rounder Beau Webster, to add both batting and bowling depth. Josh Hazlewood has been sidelined due to a calf injury and will focus on the Champions Trophy preparations. Chair of selectors George Bailey opened up on the challenges of touring Sri Lanka. 

"Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to tour given the different conditions the players may experience. This squad provides several ways to structure the XI depending on what type of wickets they may encounter in each match. We are excited about the opportunity ahead for the squad members who are at the start of their Test careers to continue to grow their games in subcontinent conditions where we have a number of important tours in coming years," Bailey said in a statement.

Also Read: Picking Glenn Maxwell for Sri Lanka Tests will be a backward step: Ricky Ponting

Meanwhile, McSweeney will make a return after being dropped mid-series against India in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, making way for Sam Konstas and Webster to earn their places with brilliant performances in the latter Tests. Konstas made an impressive 60 off 65 balls at the MCG, while Webster scored a solid 57 and 39* on debut in Sydney and contributed with the ball with a wicket.

Australia's squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka: 

Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster