Head confident on new-look Australian batting’s preparedness as prep intensifies ahead of their first test vs WI.
Head confident and says that Australia’s new-look batting order ‘prepared for anything’.
Steven Smith, one of the four players in the Australia team in the West Indies who played in their 2015 Test series here, is presently recovering in New York from a finger injury. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there is some hesitancy regarding the conditions they will face for the first game in Barbados.
“I think we’re prepared for anything, really, and prepared for maybe both [seam and spin] in the same game,” Travis Head said. “We could be starting the game and then it could shift into different modes and plans of attack. So, as a batter, you’re just sort of planning for anything at the moment. And then once you get a look at the lay of the land, come up with a plan, and try to cover all bases.”
Australia’s sole trips to the West Indies after the 2015–16 tour were for the Covid-time white-ball tour in 2021, where Barbados hosted the three ODIs, and the T20 World Cup last year, which Head participated in.
Due to Smith’s injury and Marnus Labuschagne’s dismissal, Australia’s top order will be 14,570 Test runs short of their previous performance against South Africa at Lord’s. Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis will take their place. Smith might make a comeback for the second Test in Grenada, but it’s undoubtedly an opportunity to get a sneak peek at the “reset” Pat Cummins mentioned following the World Test Championship final.
“When we get into the game, it’ll be a little bit new look,” Head said. “But guys have already played, so [they have] experience already in a short amount of Test cricket. There’s some guys there that have been a part of the group for a long time now, so it shouldn’t feel too much different.”