Australia Elects to Bat First in Test Series Against Sri Lanka

In Galle, Sri Lanka, on January 29, Australia’s skipper Steve Smith made the decision to bat first after winning the toss for the first Test of the two-match series against the hosts. Notably, right-handed batter Josh Inglis is set to make his debut in Test cricket, as he has been included in the Australian playing XI for this match. Both teams opted for a combination of three spin bowlers along with one fast bowler in their respective line-ups.

This series is significant for Sri Lanka as it is their final assignment in the current ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. Following this series, Sri Lanka will only have two home Tests against Bangladesh scheduled for 2025. Looking ahead, Sri Lanka has 12 Tests planned for the next WTC cycle from 2025 to 2027, averaging about six Tests per year. The team had a chance to reach the WTC final last year but missed out after failing to win either of their Tests against South Africa; to optimize their ranking, they now need to achieve a 2-0 victory over Australia.

Smith stated, "We'll have a bat. Unsure at this stage, looks a little tacky this morning, not too sure how it'll play, we'll wait and see. Josh Inglis gets his opportunity, he's been banging the door down in Shield cricket." He also mentioned the need to adjust based on the conditions and recognized that Sri Lanka is a formidable opponent. Regarding his own milestones, he expressed hope of reaching 10,000 runs in Test cricket.

On the other side, Sri Lanka’s captain Dhananjaya de Silva indicated that if he had won the toss, he would have also chosen to bat first. He confirmed the decision to go with three spinners and one fast bowler for their side, adding that veteran player Angelo Mathews would be part of the bowling attack.