Australian legend Ricky Ponting has questioned the call from selectors to drop teenage sensation Sam Konstas for the series opener against Sri Lanka.
The 19-year-old set the cricket world alight on home soil against India, scoring a wildly entertaining half-century in his debut on Boxing Day.
Konstas was included in the squad for the first Test in Galle, but was overlooked as the visitors pushed Travis Head to the top of the order and brought Josh Inglis to debut.
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While it's clearly a horses for courses scenario given Head's previous exploits as an opener in the subcontinent, Ponting isn't sure axing Konstas was the right move.
"I don't like it, to be honest," he said on the Seven coverage.
"I just expected Konstas would play and would open the batting.
Ricky Ponting has criticised the Sam Konstas dropping. Â Seven
"We have seen Travis Head open the batting in the subcontinent before and he did very well … no doubt he will get Australia off to a flyer.
"But I think there is a real missed opportunity for the Australians to get to learn a bit more about Sam Konstas.
"If he is the player we all think he is, I would have loved to have seen him work out a way to play spin in tough conditions in Sri Lanka over the next couple of weeks."
Head's move to the top paid dividends from the outset, reaching a half-century off just 35 deliveries as the tourists got off to a cracking start on Wednesday afternoon.
He was eventually dismissed for 57 off 40 balls in a raring hot start for the Aussies.
Travis Head walks off after a quickfire fifty. Â Getty
Konstas was on the sidelines during the national anthems and earlier, was spotted embracing the Inglis family after the West Australian's cap presentation.
Stuart Clark – a mentor for Konstas from their time together at Sutherland – has slammed the decision and labelled it as "ridiculous" on ABC Grandstand.
"Sam Konstas had one of the most remarkable debuts of all-time," he said.
"I can't see why you leave him out of the team. I find it ridculous … he's not gonna get any better unless he plays."
