Australia’s top-order batsman Travis Head remains uncertain for the upcoming fourth cricket test against India, set to kick off on Thursday at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Teenager Sam Konstas is poised to make his maiden test appearance for the home team.
The 30-year-old Head has been in sublime touch, impressively notching up centuries in Adelaide and Brisbane. Across the initial three tests of the ongoing five-match Border-Gavaskar series, Head has amassed a total of 409 runs at an impressive average of 81.80. His stellar performances have stood out, especially given the challenges posed by Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah to the rest of Australia’s batting lineup.
With the series currently deadlocked at 1-1 following a rain-affected draw in the third test in Brisbane, Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald expressed confidence on Tuesday that Head would take the field. However, Head is battling a minor calf strain which he needs to overcome before the crucial encounter.
Having skipped training the previous day due to a tight quadricep muscle sustained during the Brisbane test, the southpaw had a brief net session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday, where he faced throw-downs for about 20 minutes.
McDonald confirmed on Tuesday that the 19-year-old Konstas is all set to make his test debut at the MCG. Drafted into the squad as a replacement for opener Nathan McSweeney, Konstas is on the verge of becoming one of Australia’s youngest-ever test cricketers.
In his most recent appearance at the MCG, Konstas turned heads with scores of three and an unbeaten 73 while representing Australia A against India A last month. This promising young talent is now poised to showcase his skills on the grandest stage of them all.
