Aussie young gun learning from the best Head

Australia young gun Cooper Connolly could be set for a big role in the upcoming away Test tour of South Africa.

The 23-year-old is currently in Zimbabwe for the Aussie ODI tour and is batting at No. 3 in the white-ball setup.

Even though he’s batted higher than No. 5 in only two of his 21 First-Class innings to date, chief selector George Bailey is adamant Connolly could be a Test first-drop “whether that’s now, or into the future”.

Given that the No. 3 role is the most up for grabs in the Aussie batting line-up, Connolly says he’s happy to slot in wherever an opportunity arises.

“When I get the opportunity, I’ll try to make the most of it, and whether that’s at three or it’s in the middle order, I’m more than happy to play in either position,” Connolly told the media.

“It’s a strong Test squad, and they’ve been strong for a long period of time. It’s just about trying to learn as much as possible from guys like Smudge (Steve Smith) and ‘Heady’.”

While it’s clearly a smart choice to try and learn from Australia’s two top batters, Connolly admitted he leans more on the South Australian, given they’re both aggressive left-handers.

If Connolly can follow Head’s suit as a fire starter at the top of the Aussie order, opposition teams could find themselves buried within a session or two of play.

“I probably get into Heady’s brain a little bit because I feel like I play a similar way in red-ball cricket to him,” Connolly said.

“So just understanding how he goes about it and how he reads the game. I think over the last two or three years I’ve sort of understood his game a little bit more as I’ve played with him a little bit longer.

“It’s just taking the learnings from everyone in the group, the people that have played a lot of Test cricket for Australia, and understanding what it’s like to play in all these different conditions when I’m on these tours.

“It’s about understanding and learning more and more of other players – you start to bring in things that they use that might work for your game.”

Connolly will hope to play his second Test match when the Aussies meet South Africa in the opening fixture in Durban on October 9. Listen to every ball of the upcoming series LIVE on SEN and the SEN app.