Sri Lanka vs. Australia, 1st Test: Probable XIs, Match Prediction, Pitch Report, Weather Forecast and Live Streaming Details
Australia and Sri Lanka are set to lock horns in the first game of the two-match Test series, which starts on Wednesday, June 29 at the Galle International Stadium.
Sri Lanka, led by Dimuth Karunaratne, will be high on confidence after winning the ODI series 3-2. They sealed the fate of the series after winning three matches on the trot following their initial two-wicket defeat in the opening game.
However, Test cricket is a different ballgame altogether. Back in January, Australia won the Ashes 4-0 after which they beat Pakistan 1-0 away.
Pat Cummins has done an excellent job since taking over from Tim Paine last year before the start of the Ashes. Usman Khawaja has also been in excellent form ever since making his comeback during the Ashes.
Sri Lanka will go into the series after winning in Bangladesh a month ago. Angelo Mathews was the star of the show after he scored 199 in the Chattogram Test.
The island nation have quite a few quality spinners in their ranks and tackling them may not be a walk on the park for the Aussie batters.
Vishwa Fernando recently recovered from a concussion and is likely to share the pace attack with either Kasun Rajitha or Asitha Fernando.
Sri Lanka vs. Australia Match Details
Match: Sri Lanka vs Australia, 1st Test, Australia tour of Sri Lanka, 2022
Date and Time: June 29, 2022, Wednesday - July 3, Sunday, 10:00 AM IST
Venue: Galle International Stadium, Galle
Sri Lanka vs. Australia Pitch Report
The pitch in Galle has been a fairly decent one for batting. However, as the match progresses, the cracks on the pitch are most likely to open up and hence, spinners may come into play.
Winning the toss and batting first should be the way forward for teams.
Sri Lanka vs. Australia Weather Forecast
There is a chance of rain on the second and third days of the match, which could lead to short delays. Conditions will be cloudy with temperatures around the 31-degree Celsius mark.
Sri Lanka vs. Australia Probable XIs
Sri Lanka
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Praveen Jayawickrama, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lasith Embuldeniya, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha
Australia
David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey (wk), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon
Sri Lanka vs. Australia Match Prediction
Australia have won their previous two Test series against England and Pakistan, but their recent form hasn't been great. It may not be an easy task for them to get past Sri Lanka.
The team batting first has a great chance of winning the match.
Prediction: The team batting first to win this encounter.
Sri Lanka vs. Australia telecast details and channel list
TV: Sony Sports Network
Live Streaming: SonyLIV App.