Pucovski's audition shorted by Lankans

Will Pucovski has been backed to slot straight into Australia's Test side by none less than the great Ricky Ponting but he missed the chance to make his case irresistible at the first available opportunity in a tour match against the Sri Lankans in Hobart.

Pucovski was presented with the perfect scenario to lock himself into the starting XI for the first Domain Test against Sri Lanka at the Gabba next week after fellow Test squad members Joe Burns, Matthew Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne all fell cheaply against the pink ball in the first hour of play.

The 20-year-old Victorian got a good start, but saw concerns about his ability against short-pitched bowling rear their head as he fell into a trap set by Sri Lanka shortly after the tea break, having made a start with 23 from 54 balls.

By tea, Pucovski and Patterson had put on 60 together, but after the short break there was a change of plan from the visiting quicks, led by the impressive Dushmantha Chameera.

Pucovski had faced just two short balls before tea as he was fed a healthy diet of full deliveries, but Chameera was quick to drop it short after the break.

The Victorian obliged by trying to hook but missed as the ball sailed through at head height. Two balls later, Puckovski was again fed the bait, and bit, hitting it straight to the waiting Kasun Rajitha who only had to take a few steps to his left from his station a few metres in from the boundary rope.

Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha was coy when quizzed if the short-pitched tactic was a deliberate ploy.

"Everyone is asking me that question so maybe there is some concern," he deadpanned after stumps on day one.

"You use every possible way to get anyone out. It’s not a special thing for him.

"The boys probably just wanted to bowl straight then use the bumper, see what they can do."

Pucovski's 54-ball knock included just four boundaries, and his attacking of the short-pitched deliveries was out of character with the rest of the innings that had revealed a patient nature.

It was a long walk back to the dressing room underneath the Ricky Ponting Stand, named in honour of the former captain whose endorsement Pucovski entered the match with still ringing in his ears.

"I think Pucovski goes straight in, I think he'll bat at six in the Test match," Ponting told the Seven Network.

"Then I think it will just about be a batting competition between Renshaw and Burns in that game.

"Whichever one of those two looks the best in the game and scores the most runs, I think will play in the Test match."

But the Victorian also entered the match knowing he would face a short-ball examination from the visitors, who like all opposition attacks will have noted his past struggles with the short ball, and long history with concussion.

CA XI coach Troy Cooley said before the match he expected the short-ball tactic and had backed his young charge to overcome it.

"One thing I know is if you're a young kid you will get tested out," Cooley told Fairfax Media.

"Will will be fine. I've seen him play that shot absolutely fantastically. Pakistan tried it against him (in a CA XI one-day match  in January 2017), and things like that.

"He's a quality young man. They'll bowl where they want to bowl, and he'll work out a plan and look after it. I've got no issues."

Pucovski averages 49 from 13 first-class innings, but those numbers undersell his prodigious talent somewhat.

Ignoring the two first-class games he played with the CA XI against England in November 2017, thrust in against a powerful touring side as a teenager, Pucovski's JLT Sheffield Shield returns are 562 runs at 70.25.

It's a small sample size, but still the highest ever Shield batting average of anyone to have played at least five innings, with Ponting's 63.14 the next best.

He arrived at the crease on Thursday with the CA XI in trouble at 3-25 in the 11th over, and started cautiously, taking 10 balls to get off the mark as he set about rebuilding the innings in concert with NSW batter Kurtis Patterson, the only member of the CA XI top five not in Australia's Test squad.

With Australia captain and Hobart native Tim Paine along with national selector Greg Chappell watching on from the stands, Pucovski soon found his groove, and unfurled a gorgeous straight drive off Suranga Lakmal for his first boundary that would make a solid claim for the shot of the day.

Domain Test Series v Sri Lanka

Australia: Tim Paine (c/wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Will Pucovski, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha

CA XI: Joe Burns (c), Kurtis Patterson (vc), Scott Boland, Jake Doran (wk), Jon Holland, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Will Pucovski, Jason Sangha, Matt Renshaw, Chris Tremain

Jan 17-19: Tour match, CA XI v SL, Hobart (D/N)

Jan 24-28: First Test, Gabba (D/N)

Feb 1-5: Second Test, Canberra