Ricky Ponting has backed young sensation Will Pucovski to step ahead of his competition and move straight into the Test XI when Australia takes on Sri Lanka at the Gabba next week.

Pucovski, Matthew Renshaw and Joe Burns were set to battle for three spots in the Test batting order when they take the field for the Cricket Australia XI in a day-night tour match beginning in Hobart on Thursday.

Marnus Labushagne will also play the tour match after returning to the Test side during the losing series against India.

But rather than trying to fit three batsmen into two open spots, Ponting believes Pucovski should go straight into the side, leaving Renshaw and Burns to battle it out for another opportunity in the national set-up.

“I think Pucovski goes straight in, I think he’ll bat at six in the Test match,” Ponting told 7 News.

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“Then I think it will just about be a batting competition between Renshaw and Burns in that game.

“Whichever one of those two looks the best in the game and scores the most runs, I think will play in the Test match.”

Pucovski, 20, briefly stepped away from the game three months ago to deal with mental health issues but is undoubtedly one of the best young batting prospects to come out of Australian junior ranks in some time.

The Victorian averages 49 in the Sheffield Shield, including an extraordinary knock of 243 against WA in October.