Australian XI named for 2nd Test; spinner Jon Holland set to get debut cap

Uncapped left-arm spinner Jon Holland has been named in Australia’s playing XI for the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka at Galle, which will start from Thursday. His inclusion is the only change from the team that took the field in the first match, which the hosts won by 106 runs. Holland is replacing the injured spinner Steve O’ Keefe, who put on a brave effort with the bat in the closing stages of the Kandy Test, despite the fact that he could not run with the state his knee was in.

Holland’s career had shown tremendous promise in early years – within a year of his state debut he was in Australia's ODI squad for the 2009 tour of India. He was told that he would be given his ODI debut in Mumbai for the last match as well. However, it started raining before the match and his chance of wearing national team colours were washed away.

In the last seven years, Holland has not gone closer to representing Australia than that. Fawad Ahmed is seen as the frontline spinner even for Holland’s domestic team, and this has meant that Holland has played only three games per season for the last four years. He has been played only on pitches which offer big turn.

However, he claimed eight wickets in the Shield final in March 2016 to help Victoria win the title, proving that he belongs on the biggest stage.

Holland has capitalised on whatever opportunities he has got in the domestic circuit, though they have been few and far between. He is a naturally attacking bowler with subtle changes of pace and the ability to gain considerable turn. Some have said that his bowling is similar to Rangana Herath's whose wily spin undid the Australian batsmen in the 1st Test, their biggest point of commonality being an in-depth understanding of the art of deceit.

Australia’s batsmen line up in the same order as they had in the first match. Shaun Marsh remains out of the team, despite Allan Border’s recommendation that he be played in place of a third seamer. Steve Smith said in the lead-up to the match that one big point of difference in the bowling attacks of the two sides is that Australia have a lot more reverse swing and pace to offer, something that shows a lot of faith is being put on the bowlers.

Australia XI: Warner, Burns, Khawaja, Smith (c), Voges, M Marsh, Nevill (wk), Starc, Hazlewood, Holland, Lyon.