Australia coach Andrew McDonald remains optimistic about Cooper Connolly’s Test future despite a subdued debut, insisting the young batting all-rounder has plenty of time to cement his place in the team’s top six. Connolly was handed a whirlwind debut in just his fifth first-class game, with selectors expecting challenging batting conditions in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. However, the pitch proved more manageable than anticipated, aside from a fiery spell on day three when Sri Lanka unleashed a devastating new-ball attack that triggered a collapse of 7-64. “He’s just starting out. I think it’s too early to judge anything on that game,” McDonald was quoted by cricket.com.au as saying. “Five overs, the shot that he played—if he had it again, potentially he takes a different option. He’s one we definitely want for the future. When he reaches the point where he can push for a top-six batting role, who knows? But that’s what we see for him.” McDonald acknowledged that Australia had miscalculated their strategy in picking Connolly over third …