Prior to the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG, Travis Head has been formally cleared to play. On match eve on Wednesday, December 25, Australia captain Pat Cummins also stated that Sam Konstas will make his debut and Scott Boland will return in the two changes the hosts have made to their starting lineup.
“Trav’s good to go, he’ll play,” Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins said. “He just ticked off some final things today and yesterday. But no worries about injury with Trav. He’ll go into the game fully fit.”
During last week’s Brisbane Test, Head had a small strain to his quadriceps while batting. After undergoing a rigorous fitness test on Christmas Day, the Australian vice-captain was finally deemed fit to participate in the fourth Test of the five-match series, which is now knotted at one.
“I don’t believe you’ll see much management of him throughout the game. He simply sort of plays as is. Maybe around fielding, if he’s a little uncomfortable, we’ll manage him, but he’s fully fit.
“It feels like the last 12 months, he’s been in this unbelievable vein of form and he just keeps going on with it,” Cummins told ESPN. “He’s hitting the ball quite cleanly. You can see the pressure that he puts on the opposition from the moment he steps out there.”I’m loving that he’s in our team and I don’t have to try to set a field and bowl to him. He’s hitting the ball as well as I’ve ever seen anyone. So long may it continue.”
Australia Playing XI ahead of the 4th Boxing Day Test
Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
Meanwhile, Konstas has replaced Nathan McSweeney, who was dropped from the squad for the previous two Tests due to a spate of poor scores since his debut in Perth earlier in the series. Konstas, at 19 years old, will become the country’s youngest Test opener at the MCG.
“There’s a level of naivety that makes you want to go outside and play in the garden as you did as a child. You just want to enjoy the game without overthinking it.
“That’s the message for Sam. That was exactly how I felt as an 18-year-old. I was simply so eager, and once the game started, you went into game mode, and it was exactly like any other game.”
Local hero Boland, on the other hand, will return to the series following the second Test in Adelaide, replacing the injured Josh Hazlewood, who has since been ruled out with a calf injury.
“He bowled beautifully in Adelaide,” Cummins commented. “Whenever he gets his chance, he steps in and looks like he’s one of the best bowlers in the world.”I expect him to do the same. He enjoys bowling and has probably played more games at the MCG than anybody else on our team. He’s very well prepared.
“It is pretty awesome that even with an unfortunate injury like Josh has, you can have someone like Scotty to come straight in seamlessly.”
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