Australia have selected Mitch Swepson as their second spinner for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting on Wednesday in Galle but mystery remains around Travis Head.
Head is battling a hamstring strain ahead of the series-opening Test, with captain Pat Cummins coy on whether he’ll be available.
The Aussie skipper did reveal if Head is unable to prove his fitness that all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will play his first Test since 2017.
Cummins also confirmed Swepson will play alongside Nathan Lyon on the spin-friendly track with Jon Holland not considered due to a finger injury.
Swepson struggled in his two previous Tests, taking only two wickets at 133, failing to take a wicket in his past three innings away to Pakistan.
“We’re really happy with Swepo (Swepson). He is bowling beautifully and really ready for this one,” Cummins told reporters.
“These conditions it’s quite different to what we experience in Australia. That’s the challenge of trying to win overseas.
“I think his role here might be slightly different as well. Pakistan we knew was going to be a slow grind and I thought he did his job despite not taking the wickets he would like.
“He was a really important cog in that bowling engine. It’s always exciting having a leggie in the side as a captain. It feels like a real luxury to throw him the ball and see him go about it.”
Australia won that Pakistan series 1-0 with Lyon spinning them to victory in the third Test with a five-wicket haul in the second innings.
Sri Lanka appear set to hand a debut to leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay, while the pressure is on Lasith Embuldeniya after a poor series against Bangladesh.
