Aus vs SL | Australia up for Sri Lanka’s spin challenge in Test series, says captain Cummins

Two match Test series between hosts Sri Lanka and Australia will commence on Wednesday

After an unexpected 3-0 series defeat on the previous tour of Sri Lanka six years ago, Australia expects to bat much better on spin-friendly pitches in the two match Test series in Galle starting on Wednesday.

Australia has found playing on Asia's turning pitches hard in the past but has done well recently, beating Pakistan 1-0 in a three-match series in March. Of more significance, Sri Lanka's spin attack doesn't have the experience and variety of the retired Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera, whose combined 43 wickets caused Australia's downfall in the 2016 series.

“In a lot of ways it will be quite different,” Australia captain Pat Cummins said in comparing the conditions in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

“(Pakistan) was subcontinent but it wasn't big turn. There was so much we did well over there. We controlled the tempo of the match. In some ways it will be a bigger challenge (in Sri Lanka) when it quickens up faster than Pakistan."

Sri Lanka can field left-arm spinners Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama and offspinner Ramesh Mendis. Also in the squad is legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, uncapped in Tests.

The first three have played only 27 tests combined, but Sri Lanka will be encouraged by how well the spinners performed in the one-day international series it won 3-2.

Sri Lanka's seam bowlers have been better than the spinners: Asitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha carried the team to victory in the recent two-test series in Bangladesh.