A shock Test debut for 21-year-old Cooper Connolly in Sri Lanka has moved closer after a horror compound fracture in his thumb suffered by spinner Matt Kuhnemann left the Australian squad without a frontline left-arm spinner.
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Kuhnemann, who was a near lock to play in the opening Test in Galle later this month, ran off the Gabba in agony on Thursday night after attempting to field a Matthew Wade straight drive off his own bowling, on what was to be his final ball of the match, badly hurting his non-bowling hand.
The 28-year-old, who was due to fly out to Dubai for a pre-Test training camp on Sunday, had a procedure on Friday morning to set the thumb after Heat teammate and Test star Marnus Labuschagne said it “didn’t look good”.
However, the surgery reportedly went well and he is still a chance to tour, but time will tell if he is fit for the first Test.
While Cricket Australia is yet to rule Kuhnemann out of the Sri Lanka tour, Connolly, who doesn’t have a first-class wicket, could shoot into contention for a role in the opening match.
Australian fill-in captain Steve Smith said a slow bowler who “turns the ball from the right-handers” is crucial to any success in the two Tests in Galle and Connolly, who was included in the touring party ahead of several other spinners, fits the bill.
West Australian Corey Rocchiccioli took four wickets for Australia A in the win over the England Lions in Brisbane this week and could come into contention but bowls the same right-arm off-spin as Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy who are already in the squad.
An SOS could go out to veteran spinner Ashton Agar, who battled injured for much of 2024 but has played a full season with the Perth Scorchers in the BBL.
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Leg-spinner Mitch Swepson, who toured Sri Lanka in 2022, could also be an option as an alternative to a left-armer.
When picking Connolly, Australian selection chief George Bailey said there’s “lots to like” about him and that he was “picked for a reason.
“Technically, we like it. Temperament, we like. Character, we like. Clearly, skill set, there’s a lot to like there as well,” he said.
“He’s someone that we’ve had our eye on for a period of time.
“On the first-class front, there’s not a great deal of games behind him, but he is one that’s been around that one-day group.
“We have in the past used that as a stepping stone at different times to see a player a bit more, find out a bit more about the way they play. He was obviously the beneficiary of that.”
The first Test begins on January 29.
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Meanwhile, batsman Colin Munro will return from a finger injury to captain the Heat in what is a must-win clash for Brisbane against the Melbourne Renegades at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
Munro, Daniel Drew and Jack Wood come into the 13-man Heat squad to replace Test pair Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne – who leave on Saturday for Australia’s training camp in Dubai – and Kuhnemann.
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