Australia have landed in Barbados not entirely sure what they will face, and that, Travis Head insists, is fine. Only four members of this squad toured the Caribbean in 2015 and Steven Smith – one of those four – is sitting in New York nursing a broken finger. The rest must learn quickly.
Showers blew through Kensington Oval during an optional first hit-out. Every batter turned up; every quick stayed in the hotel. Only left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann rolled the arm over. The Test strip itself was uncovered for no more than a few minutes, so firm judgements were impossible. Add in the locally produced Dukes ball – similar to, but not quite the same as, its English cousin – and guess-work ruled the day.
“I think we’re prepared for anything, really, and prepared for maybe both [seam and spin] in the same game,” Head said, speaking beside the square. “We could be starting the game and then it could shift into different modes and plans of attack. So, as a batter, you’re just sort of planning for anything at the moment. And then once you get a look at the lay of the land, come up with a plan, and try to cover all bases.”
Head was part of the 2021 white-ball tour when Barbados pitches turned – slowly but certainly. “They [the pitches] spun a little bit here,” he remembered. “They were pretty slow, but I’ve heard different things, especially with the Dukes and what that brings.”
Whatever surface appears on Wednesday, Australia will bat without Smith or Marnus Labuschagne for the first time since the Boxing Day Test of 2018. Between them the pair account for 14,570 Test runs; in their absence Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis step up. Smith’s finger could heal in time for the second Test in Grenada, while Labuschagne remains on standby as the sole reserve batter, yet this match still offers an early glimpse of the “reset” captain Pat Cummins referenced after the World Test Championship final.
Head, now the senior man in the middle order, is relaxed about the shuffling. “When we get into the game, it’ll be a little bit new look,” he said. “But guys have already played, so [they have] experience already in a short amount of Test cricket. There’s some guys there that have been a part of the group for a long time now, so it shouldn’t feel too much different.”
The exact batting order will be confirmed closer to the toss. Head opening was briefly floated by coach Andrew McDonald if the surface resembled the subcontinent, though he now regards that as unlikely. Konstas is pencilled in to partner Usman Khawaja at the top, giving the teenager three Tests to settle before sterner challenges later in the year.
From a bowling perspective, selection hinges on that strip underneath the hessian. Two specialist quicks plus Cameron Green may suffice if the pitch is dry and slow, freeing up space for Kuhnemann alongside Nathan Lyon. Equally, a fresher, greener surface could bring in a third seamer. Head summed up the mood neatly: no one truly knows yet.
Such uncertainty does not bother the vice-captain. Australia, he says, have planned for diversion. If the Dukes swings under cloud, fine. If the surface grips on day three, also fine. “Prepared for anything” was his refrain, and it sounded genuine rather than rehearsed.
The Test, Australia’s first here for seven years, starts on Wednesday. By then the covers will be off, and the guessing – at last – will stop.
