'Can't get any harder': Clear Head sticking to his guns

Comforted by the belief batting conditions cannot get any harder, Travis Head is hopeful a first innings of substance since being the crowned the standout player of last summer's Ashes is just around the corner.

Despite his sensational bowling return of 4-10 in 17 balls that fast-tracked Sri Lanka's rapid demise on Friday morning, Head has not forgotten about his primary skill and is confident his subcontinental batting strategy is sound.

The left-hander, whose hamstring strain had seen Glenn Maxwell put on standby for the first Test, is the only member of Australia's top seven who has not passed fifty at least once since the end of the Ashes campaign.

Head has admittedly only batted five times since then; four innings in Pakistan where bat generally prospered over ball, and once in diabolical conditions in Galle, for a total of 74 runs at 18.50.

The 28-year-old has been urged not to change his approach.

"A few people I spoke to during the last series, (said) when you second-guess yourself or try to change things for the next Test, you get yourself in more trouble," he said.

"So be nice and clear, couple of days of training and make sure I come in best prepared to play my role – and there's no doubt that is to bat."

Head had been named player-of-the-Ashes for counter-punching hundreds on seam-friendly surfaces in Brisbane and Hobart.

Both pitches were labelled "average" by the International Cricket Council, which would appear likely to hand down a similar verdict for the Galle strip that was over in 920 balls, Australia's fastest Test victory this century.

Last year's contentious Ahmedabad surface for the India-England Test that was over even quicker – 842 balls – was rated average despite calls for a harsher verdict.

"It's nice to know they might not get harder than that," Head said of the Galle pitch.

While the challenge in Sri Lanka has come from spin rather than seam, Head's proven ability to succeed on tough wickets combined with his own indifference to how he looks in scoring his runs bodes well.

He also made an unbeaten 70 in the third ODI against Sri Lanka on a spinning track in Colombo a fortnight ago in a middle-order role he had been shoe-horned into because of injuries to teammates.

Head faced 16 balls in the Test series opener before chipping a catch back to off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva and conceded he should have played it with a straight bat or swept it.

"I just made a mistake – trying to work the ball to mid-wicket on a full ball that's probably outside the line (of leg stump)," he said.

"It's amazing all the work you can do in the nets and feel good and prepare the best way and talk about it, but it's about going out and emulating that.

"So double down on those plans, watch(ing) how (his teammates) went about it, they did it really well for the Test.

"I thought in general the way I eyed the ball up, the way my hands were working was good. It's just you make one mistake, and you sit in the sheds.

"I've played well on spinning pitches in Australia.

"These are different – I've never played on a wicket like that – so another one to take into consideration."

Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Test squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Dinesh Chandimal, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lasith Embuldeniya, Jeffrey Vandersay. Standby players: Dunith Wellalage, Lakshitha Rasanjana.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. Standby players: Jon Holland, Matthew Kuhnemann, Todd Murphy

June 29 - July 3: Australia won by 10 wickets

July 8-12: Second Test, Galle, 2.30pm AEST

Sri Lanka v Australia Test matches will be screened live on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports