Donald was working with South Africa when they recently defeated Sri Lanka on this ground, when reverse swing proved as risky as any spin. It also lost both matches when Pakistan hosted it for a two-Test series in 2014 in the United Arab Emirates.
Advertisement
Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews is focused on a series win.
In a bid to beat Sri Lanka at their own game, Australia have hired the island’s most famous spin bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan, as a consultant. The guys we’ll have playing bowl good pace as well, and that is a bit of a point of difference. The coaches have come up with plans for each batsmen in their side.
“We can’t write off David Warner. We need to play well in Galle to seal the series”.
Smith said Warner, who had missed the warm-up matches, was “hungry for runs”.
Australia have named the uncapped left-arm spinner Jon Holland in the playing XI for the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle to take the place of the injured Steve O’Keefe.
The Australians feel their pace attack is an advantage, and have assessed how the Proteas stormed to a 153-run win here two years ago, primarily through a big first innings total (455) and then reverse swing. “I think in these conditions the way Rangana gets a lot of his wickets, you have to cover that”, Smith said. “They came up with a different strategy in the second [innings in Kandy]”, Mathews said. So it’s about trying to one get the bowlers off their lengths as much as you can, make them a little bit uncomfortable, but at the same time if they do get in a good rhythm and you are playing from the crease, particularly against someone like Rangana [Herath] its playing for that ball that is going to skid on. We have to be cautious.
Australia are expected to stick to the same batting line-up but will need their top order to fire after everyone bar Smith failed to pass 50.
“They didn’t get runs, but they are a unsafe top order”. It’s tough to play spin here.
Smith said Australia’s batsmen would not only have to adapt to a dry track but also factor in the breeze from the nearby Indian Ocean.
After some nervous moments when he realised his passport had expired, Holland arrived in Galle on Saturday and will become Australia’s 444th Test player.
Commenting on the association, Mr. P. Vijayaraghavan, Director, TVS Srichakra Ltd., said, “With this association, we continue to discover and maximize newer customer outreach platforms. It’s all a bit surreal still and I will just have to wait and see if I do get the chance to play”.
Test selection marks an incredible rise for Holland, who has fought back from three serious shoulder injuries and couldn’t get a Sheffield Shield start for Victoria for most of last summer as Fawad Ahmed was picked as the state’s number one spinner.
The locals will nearly certainly be without fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who has strained a hamstring.
Mathews confirmed that if Pradeep is indeed ruled out of the match, Vishwa Fernando will make his Test debut.
Advertisement
It’s a situation unfathomable after the first three hours in Kandy – an inexperienced and unproven home side had been dismissed for 117 as No.1-ranked Australia flexed their muscles.
