AUS vs SL: Australian middle-order batsman Travis Head is most likely to miss the fifth and final ODI match against Sri Lanka on Friday (June 24) in Colombo owing to a hamstring injury.
In the fourth ODI of the series, Head had a minor hamstring strain while on the field. In the press conference prior to the final ODI, Aaron Finch said, “It’s a bit more of a precaution, especially given where he fields. He makes a lot of strikeouts despite playing in the outfield, where the earth is extremely heavy
Over the previous two games, Australia utilized Head in the outfield for one-day games, clocking 26 Kms on the rough R.Premadasa Stadium surface, leading to his injury.
The Australians don’t have a backup battery in the Test team; instead, Mitch Marsh, an all-arounder, and Josh Inglis, a wicketkeeper, serve as the middle-order options outside of the starting lineup they used in Pakistan earlier this year.
Marcus Harris, Matthew Renshaw, and Nic Maddinson from the Australia A team might be considered if Head is also ruled out of the first Test against Sri Lanka, which begins on Wednesday in Galle. Australia A is currently on a first-class and one-day tour of Sri Lanka.
In the meantime, Mitchell Starc (finger injury) and Steven Smith (quad niggle) will miss the last ODI as they switch their attention to the Test series. In the five-match ODI series, Sri Lanka now has a commanding 3-1 lead.
Travis Head is a very vital player looking at the Test match perspective. The left-handed batter was in great form in the red-ball format and also his part-time off-break could be helpful on slow wickets in Sri Lanka.
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