Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has named two debutants in his preferred batting line-up to take on Sri Lanka in the first Domain Test in Brisbane. The Test great has included New South Welshman Kurtis Patterson and Victorian Will Pucovski in his top six for the Gabba. Patterson is in superb form after hammering scores of 157 and 102 against Sri Lanka for the Cricket Australia XI in Hobart last week.
The left-hander was rewarded for his rich vein of form with a late call-up to the Test squad and Ponting has put him at No.4 in his line-up.
Patterson also boasts an incredible record against the pink ball, punching out four centuries among 715 runs at an average of 65 from 14 innings.
“He’s a bit the same as Pucovski – he’s sort of been on the radar for the past couple of seasons,” Ponting said of Patterson on Melbourne radio station SEN.
“(He) probably just hasn’t had enough runs behind him in the last 12-18 months to really put his name forward ahead of anyone else for selection.
“I think he averages just over 40 now in Sheffield Shield cricket, which is probably as good as any of our young batsmen going around.
“As the selectors have been saying for quite a while now, we have to pick guys that are in form and we want to pick guys who are making hundreds.
“It’s a gutsy call to name a Test squad as they did (on January 9) and then add someone to it at the last minute.
“It’s a gutsy call but I think it’s the right call.”
Prodigiously talented Pucovski, who is averaging 103.66 in the JLT Sheffield Shield this season, is at No.6 in Ponting’s side.
The 20-year-old smashed 243 against Western Australia in Perth in October and already has two first-class centuries from eight matches.
Pucovski returned scores of 23 and 33 not out for the CA XI last week, with Victoria teammate Scott Boland describing him as “the best young player I’ve ever seen”.
“He’ll be incredibly excited and I’m sure he’ll be a little bit nervous as well with the lead up to what could potentially be his first Test,” Ponting said.
“If Will was going to play, you’d like to think he would’ve been told by now, just to give him as much time as possible to get his head around the situation.
Australia’s most senior batsman, Khawaja passed 50 just once from seven innings against India and made 27 and 4 not out as an opener in the last Test in Sydney.
He does, however, average 96.80 from seven innings at the top of the order in Tests, including two tons.
Australia will also be without star paceman Josh Hazlewood (back injury) for the two-Test series, with emerging WA bowler Jhye Richardson replacing him in the squad and a chance to debut at the Gabba.
Ponting’s XI: Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Kurtis Patterson, Travis Head, Will Pucovski, Tim Paine (c/wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle/Jhye Richardson
