Baggy greens loom for Finch and Head

AARON Finch and Travis Head will become Australia’s newest Test cricketers on Sunday after confirmation they will play in the opening clash against Pakistan.

Coach Justin Langer said he “can’t wait” to see Finch, 31, play Test cricket having dominated the world in one-day and T20 matches for the past 12 months.

Finch made a polished 54 in the tour game against Pakistan A but Langer said it was less an audition for the first Test, which begins on Sunday in Dubai, and more confirmation he has what it takes to wear a baggy green.

Head, 24, made an unbeaten 90 in the warm-up match and will likely assume the place in the middle order left open by suspended captain Steve Smith in Langer’s first Test in charge.

“There was never any doubt over those two for me, I thought they were certainties to play,” Langer said.

“Aaron Finch — I can’t wait to see him play Test cricket. He’s been brilliant in whiteball cricket over the last few years, he’s got the temperament for international cricket.

“He’s playing really well. He’s one of the leaders of our group. Travis Head — his improvement over the last … six months is absolutely amazing. He’s starting to look like an AFL player, he’s really fit.

“He played brilliantly in the Australia A stuff, he’s really impressive and he deserves to have a baggy green cap.”

Victorian coach Andrew McDonald said his Test call-up was reward for being in form at the right time. “It’s great news. It’s one thing to get a baggy green but now it’s an opportunity for him to lock away that spot and become a fiveyear player in that team.”

With concern over the match fitness of opener Matthew Renshaw, South African born Queenslander Marnus Labuschagne has also shot into contention for a Test debut.

Michael Neser and Peter Siddle are fighting it out for the final pace spot.