Travis Head not listed to open for South Australia in Sheffield Shield opener in sign he does not want Steve Smith’s Test spot in order

Travis Head has given the strongest indication yet he is not in the race to open against India, listed at No.4 for South Australia in their Sheffield Shield game against NSW.

There had been speculation that Head could be one of several options to open in the Test side, if Steve Smith was not preferred at the top.

But that now appears less likely, with South Australia to use Henry Hunt and Conor McInerny at the top of the order against the Blues at Cricket Central.

Australia’s chief selector George Bailey is in attendance.

Head will likely have to wait until later in the match to bat, with NSW winning the toss and batting first under heavy cloud cover and spots of rain.

South Australia have four Shield matches before the first Test of the summer next month, although Head is unlikely to feature in the last of those due to Australian white-ball commitments.

Cameron Green is the other leading option to open if coach Andrew McDonald wishes to bump Smith back to No.4, but that would depend on the allrounder’s back injury.

If Green is not fit, Australia could look towards a specialist opener, or bring in an allrounder as an extra bowling option alongside Mitch Marsh.

A year ago Matthew Renshaw, Victorian Marcus Harris and WA’s Cameron Bancroft were seemingly in a three-way fight to replace the retiring David Warner before Australia opted to promote Smith to open with Usman Khawaja and move Cameron Green to No.4.

Incumbent Smith scored a brilliant, unbeaten 91 in Australia’s thrilling loss to West Indies at the Gabba but scored 12 or less in six of his eight innings at the top of the order.

Nathan Lyon will play for NSW but former Test captain Smith, along with current skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, have not been named in the side that will face South Australia in Sydney today.

Renshaw will be reunited with Khawaja at the top of Queensland’s Sheffield Shield order today as his new coach urges the Test aspirant to shout “I’m the guy”.

Khawaja will move back to the top from No.4 while fringe Test chance Renshaw will also face the new, red ball against three-time defending champions Western Australia when the four-day competition begins on Tuesday.

New captain Marnus Labuschagne will bat at No.3 for last year’s wooden spooners, now helmed by former South African spinner Johan Botha.

The coach is keen to “lift the intensity” of their batting and give Renshaw, who has slid up and down the order in recent years, a platform to surge into contention for the first Test against India next month.

”The plan for all of us is to get him back in the Test team. Queensland coach,” South African spinner Johan Botha said on Monday.

“Even if he’s not in poll position at the moment there’s nothing that two big scores can’t change.

“Get a big score when everyone’s watching; that’s what counts. And it will count that he’s batting with Khawaja and Marnus around him.

“That puts him right in the mix and make them (selectors) make a tough decision. And the guy that gets that first look in, they’ll have to go with that guy for a while.”

Green could also shift up from No.4 to open, but won’t join Mitch Marsh or Josh Inglis for the Warriors’ Shield opener as he nurses a fresh back concern.

Khawaja, 38 in December, will play at least three of the Bulls’ four Shield clashes before the first Test and become Australia’s oldest Test cricketer since Steve Waugh, should he feature later this year.

The left-hander’s averaged 53.41 since his recall during the 2021/22 Ashes, providing the steady hand at the top of the order despite batting No.4 when he played for the Bulls.