Australia’s Josh Inglis will make his Test debut in the series opener against Sri Lanka in Galle, as both teams have chosen spin-heavy lineups. Stand-in captain Steven Smith won the toss and elected to bat first.
As anticipated, Australia has favored spin over pace, with offspinner Todd Murphy replacing Scott Boland. Murphy joins Nathan Lyon and left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann in a three-pronged spin attack. Kuhnemann returns to the Test side after recovering from a thumb injury sustained in the BBL.
Mitchell Starc is the only frontline pace bowler, while allrounder Beau Webster offers additional seam and spin options.
Travis Head has moved to the top of the order, replacing 19-year-old Sam Konstas, who impressed in his debut against India during the Boxing Day Test. Inglis, known for his ability against spin, will play as a specialist batter at No. 5. Though primarily a wicketkeeper, he has excelled in this season’s Sheffield Shield, amassing 363 runs at an average of 72.6.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, has brought in Oshada Fernando to replace the injured Pathum Nissanka at the top of the order. Their bowling attack features three spinners—legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, and offspinner Nishan Peiris—while Asitha Fernando is the only frontline fast bowler.
Steven Smith, leading Australia in the absence of Pat Cummins, enters the match on the verge of a personal milestone, needing just one more run to reach 10,000 in Test cricket. He is aiming to become the fourth Australian to achieve the feat, following Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh.
The match is set to be played in challenging humid conditions, with rain potentially disrupting play on the opening day. Sri Lanka boasts a strong record in Galle, having won five of their last six Tests at the venue, while Australia has recorded three wins, two losses, and one draw in their previous visits.
Playing XIs:
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Oshada Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kusal Mendis (wk), Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (capt), Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Mitchell Starc, Todd Murphy, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Kuhnemann
Updated on 29th January, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.