Sri Lanka vs Australia 1st Test Match Prediction

Preview

Sri Lanka vs Australia: Australia has bad memories of their last visit to Sri Lanka. They were whitewashed and Rangana Herath was all over them in that series. The series was interesting but Australia’s struggles against spin were evident as they suffered another subcontinent whitewash. They are back in Sri Lanka with six players still in the squad from the last visit. Sri Lanka also has a fair number of players from that series, but will be without Rangana Herath, Australia’s chief tormented.

If the ODI’s were anything to go by though, spin and a lot of spin is likely to be encountered in this series. Australia is known to struggle with spin and the ODI series proves that they still have a tough time with the turning ball. With a tough ODI series behind them, Australia knows what the challenge is ahead and will have a tough time tackling it.

Match Details

Match: Sri Lanka vs Australia

Date: 29th June 2022

Time: 10:00 AM IST

Venue: Galle International Stadium

Weather Report

Barring day one, the weather is clear and dry for entire Sri Lanka vs Australia Test match.

Pitch Report

A dry and turning track is what will be waiting for Australia at Galle. The pitch is likely to turn square as soon as possible and will become tougher to bat on as the match progresses. Batting first will be the best option with the team batting likely to get the best conditions on day one.

Sri Lanka vs Australia Predicted Playing XI

Sri Lanka Playing XI

Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjay De Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella(wk), Jeffrey Vandersay, Kasum Rajitha, Lasith Embuldeniya, Ashitha Fernando,

Australia Playing XI

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell/Travis Head, Cameron Green/Ashton Agar, Alex Carey(wk), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland

Team News

Travis Head is nursing a hamstring injury and may miss out for Glenn Maxwell if he doesn’t recover. Given his record in Sri Lanka, Mitchell Starc may find a place in the side ahead of Josh Hazlewood.

Key Players

Lasith Embuldeniya

The last time Australia came to Sri Lanka, Australia struggled against the left-arm spin of Rangana Herath. Now, Lasith Embuldeniya is as the left-arm spinner and has some wonderful numbers early in his career. If he manages to hit the right spots he will have Australia in a lot of discomfort like last time. With spin the key weapon for Sri Lanka, Embuldeniya has a huge job ahead of him and will have to play a central role in breaking Australia’s batting line-up.

Mitchell Starc

When it comes to reverse swing there are not many bowlers better than Mitchell Starc. He took 24 wickets and was the second-highest wicket-taker in the series. His pace is a weapon on the dry Sri Lankan tracks and going by his performance last time, Starc will have a lot of expectations on him this time around. However, his partners Hazlewood and Cummins are hand at extracting reverse swing as well. With only two pacers likely, Starc will have to break into the squad. Given his record though, he has a strong chance. If he manages to make the eleven though, Australia can expect a lot of wickets from him.

Sri Lanka vs Australia Match Tips

The last series was a memorable and interesting one despite the scoreline. Nobody expected Sri Lanka to win at the start. This time as well, Sri Lanka does not look like they are favorites. However, after exploiting Australia’s spin weakness in the ODI Sri Lanka may feel they have a chance. Picking a favorite is tough but given the role of spin Sri Lanka is likely to have a small advantage.

Match Prediction: Sri Lanka will win the match