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Steve Smith is keen to help Australia's next generation of batters flourish in all conditions, but says ultimately they'll teach themselves.
Steve Smith isn't sure if Sam Konstas will open in Sri Lanka and says Australia's teenage Test sensation will figure things out for himself after a whirlwind Indian introduction.
The 19-year-old will be part of Australia's 16-strong touring party for the two-Test series in Galle that begins on January 29.
But there is a chance middle-order destroyer Travis Head will be deployed at the top of the order after doing so effectively on their last trip to India.
With veteran Usman Khawaja also a proven sub-continental performer it leaves Konstas in a jam after his mid-series injection helped Australia reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"I don't know the answer to that right now," Smith, who will stand-in for Pat Cummins as captain, said of the side's opening combination.
"It's still a little while before we play and we have plenty of options of how the team can stack up.
"We'll look for the best option and whatever that is we'll go with that."
Smith said he would do his best to equip Konstas with the knowledge to flourish in the spin-friendly conditions, but said he wouldn't overdo it.
"As a batter, you can only learn by yourself in a way," he said.
"You play the way you want to play because it's your career. From there, you learn along the way through experiences.
"I've seen him bat like that and I've seen him bat more conventionally in a Shield game and do really well.
"He's got all the tools and I think he has the ability when he wants to to absorb pressure, and he's got the ability to put a lot of pressure back on (the bowlers).
"It's something he'll learn. He's only 19, he's a kid. He's going to have plenty of experiences and he's going to learn them along the way."