Coach Justin Langer says young gun Will Pucovski has “huge potential” but believes the decision to lift Kurtis Patterson into Australia’s XI for the first Domain Test against Sri Lanka was “a common-sense thing to do”.

The decision by selectors to pick Patterson instead of Pucovski at the Gabba, despite the left-hander not being in Australia’s original squad of 13, was vindicated by the NSW batsman’s solid debut, including a defiant innings of 30 under lights and a spectacular catch on the final day of the match.

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Having scored two centuries against Sri Lanka in their tour match in Hobart, Patterson was added to an extended Australian squad and then elevated above both Pucovski and Matt Renshaw into the starting side.

Langer acknowledged the decision to omit the highly-rated Pucovski was “controversial” and conceded the public reaction to the selection call had weighed on his mind.

“You agonise more probably at this point of the season about what’s going to get reported on, if I’m completely frank,” Langer said after Australia’s crushing victory in Brisbane.

“It shouldn’t be, hopefully I’ll get tougher over the years that way (and I) won’t think about that.

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“But it was a common-sense decision.

“(Patterson) got a hundred in both innings against Sri Lanka and you talk about rewarding performance. So when it came down to that, although we’d selected the squad before, I was really glad we had the courage to have that flexibility and bring someone in from outside that original squad.”

Pucovski has retained his spot in Australia’s squad for the second Test in Canberra and while Langer has indicated the Aussies won’t make any changes to their side for the maiden Test in the nation’s capital, he says Pucovski’s time will come.

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“I love the way he plays,” the coach said of the 20-year-old.

“He’s a really good-looking player. He’s a great catch. He’s a brilliant young kid.

“He’s got a huge upside, huge potential and hopefully when the timing comes he’ll be ready to grab that opportunity.”

Another omission from the Gabba Test was Queensland opener Renshaw, who has since been replaced in the squad by allrounder Marcus Stoinis.

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Renshaw was the leading run-scorer in last season’s JLT Sheffield Shield competition and opened the batting alongside Joe Burns against South Africa in Johannesburg last year.

He had been tipped to hold onto his Test spot after a prolific winter with English county side Somerset, but a drop in form following his omission from the Tests against Pakistan last October has meant he’s remained out of the team.

Burns returned to the opening spot in Brisbane, Langer saying a desire to solidify Australia’s batting “engine room” – their top three batters – was the reason the right-hander got the nod alongside Victoria’s Marcus Harris.

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“Burnsy is an experienced opening batsman and we felt on this wicket at his home ground, the Gabba is always a tough place to open the batting on,” Langer said.

“Having an experienced opening batsman is important for this Test match, probably this Test series actually.

“That was why he got the nod and even a 39-run partnership under lights (with Harris) got us started, so that’s why he played.”

Domain Test Series v Sri Lanka

Australia: Tim Paine (c/wk), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Kurtis Patterson, Will Pucovski, Jhye Richardson, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha

First Test: Australia won by an innings and 40 runs

Second Test: February 1-5, Canberra