Sam Konstas sent home, mystery over Marnus Labuschagne ahead of second Sri Lanka Test
Updated . First published at
Young gun batting tyro Sam Konstas has been sent home from Sri Lanka before the second Test in Galle.
The 19-year-old was in the Australian squad but will now fly back to Sydney to play for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield.
The news came just a day after former Test player Brad Haddin called for the Aussies to send Konstas home after he was snubbed from the first match.
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Konstas played two matches against India at home, and flew to Sri Lanka with hopes of opening the batting alongside Usman Khawaja.
Instead he was sidelined as Australia debuted Josh Inglis in spin-friendly conditions.
Sam Konstas of Australia speaks with batting coach Michael Di Venuto. Getty
The decision paid dividends when Inglis made a century in his first Test innings,
The Konstas snub left former opening batter Ed Cowan dumfounded.
"You can't learn how to play spin, by not playing spin," Cowan told ABC Sport.
Konstas won't be in the team for the second Test, but there are more questions lingering over the Aussie line-up.
Mystery remains over out-of-form No.3 Marnus Labuschagne after a bizarre training snub on Tuesday.
Journalists covering the tour noted Labuschagne did not bat in the nets while other starting players did.
After nicking off for 20 in the first Test while his teammates cashed in, Labuschagne's spot in the side has once again been called into question.
He has averaged barely more than 30 runs per knock in his last 26 Test matches, having averaged above 60 in the 30 prior to that.
Labuschagne was sidelined on Tuesday to instead train with reserve batter Nathan McSweeney, and didn't face the team's frontline spin bowlers.
It will only fuel speculation he will be axed for the second Test.
Cooper Connolly did bat with the main group and could be a chance to make his Test debut in the match starting Thursday.
Travis Head, meantime, believes Konstas will be back in the Test squad to open the batting for the World Test Championship final against Sri Lanka later this year.
"Most likely I'll go back into the middle order and Sam would open, but I'm glad I'm not a selector," Head said.
"Josh (Inglis) has had an amazing start, guys are playing well, Greeny's [Cameron Green] going to be fit.
"So it's going to be hard to fit in and I think that's what we want.
"We want an Australian cricket team that's tough to get in, where everyone's pushing for spots. That's where the pressure comes, trying to hold your spot every Test knowing there's people behind you.
"So we're in a strong position. It's better having seven or eight batters talked about than three or four."
Head opened in the first Test and blasted a quickfire half-century before Khawaja, Steve Smith, and Inglis all tonned up.
