Cooper Connolly Primed for Test Debut, But Steve Smith Insists Top Six Remains Unaltered

Rising star Cooper Connolly is seemingly on the brink of making his Test debut as Australia considers a potential change ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Reports emerging from Galle indicate that Connolly may be included in the lineup, but which player he would replace is still uncertain.

Todd Murphy found it difficult to settle into a rhythm during the first Test, while Beau Webster’s bowling went unused.

On the eve of the match, captain Steve Smith stated, “I can’t foresee any changes to the top six,” which suggests that Webster and Murphy might be the ones at risk.

“As with the last Test, we’ll wait until closer to match time to see the condition of the pitch,” he explained regarding team selection.

He added, “It appeared a bit drier yesterday compared to two days out from the first Test.”

When asked if they might opt for more spin, Smith was non-committal.

“It’s a possibility. We’re considering all options, but we’ll leave the decision until late. We have the necessary resources available if we need them,” he mentioned.

Smith then extolled Connolly, who has yet to take a wicket in first-class cricket over four matches.

“He’s another batsman who can bowl handy spin, similar to (Matt) Kuhnemann,” he said.

“We have several options that spin it the same way as Nathan (Lyon) and Todd (Murphy). I only used Heady for two overs, and he has also performed well in these conditions.”

“He represents a potential alternate option.

“From what I’ve seen in the nets, he bowls really well.

“His consistency during our training camp in Dubai and in the nets here has been impressive. In these conditions, it’s critical to bowl in good areas and let the pitch work for you.

“I believe he has only bowled (16) first-class overs back in Australia, but bowling here is an entirely different scenario, and his style suits these conditions rather nicely.”

However, whether Connolly will replace Murphy remains to be seen. Smith provided an intriguing response when discussing the pitch’s dryness during an interview with SEN, hinting at the possibility of playing multiple spinners.

“Possibly. We might even consider three frontline spinners and Connolly as well,” he suggested.

“We have a wealth of options to explore, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”