The first Test of the two-match Test series between Sri Lanka and Australia will start on January 29. This is the last Test series of World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle with the Aussies having already made it to the finals against South Africa. The Lankan Lions are looking to finish the Test championship cycle on a high as they are currently fifth in the points table.
They once again failed to qualify for the final as they lost the two-match Test series against the Proteas. Meanwhile, they might finish in the top four if they win the series by 2-0. However, that won’t be easy as Australia has a great record and resources to win in the island nation.
Sri Lanka vs Australia: Match Details
| Match | Sri Lanka vs Australia 1st Test |
| Venue | Galle International Stadium |
| Timings | 10:00 AM IST |
| Date | January 29 – February 2 |
Sri Lanka vs Australia: Head to Head
| Matches | Sri Lanka Wins | Australia Wins | Draws |
| 30 | 5 | 18 | 7 |
Sri Lanka vs Australia: Probable Playing XI
| Australia | Sri Lanka |
| Usman Khawaja | Dimuth Karunaratne |
| Travis Head | Oshada Fernando |
| Marnus Labuschagne | Dinesh Chandimal |
| Steve Smith (c) | Angelo Mathews |
| Josh Inglis | Kamindu Mendis |
| Beau Webster | Dhananjaya de Silva (c) |
| Alex Carey (wk) | Kusal Mendis (wk) |
| Mitchell Starc | Prabath Jayasuriya |
| Josh Hazlewood | Nishan Peiris |
| Matthew Kuhnemann | Asitha Fernando |
| Nathan Lyon | Vishwa Fernando |
Sri Lanka vs Australia: Pitch Report and Weather Condition
| Match Timings | Pitch Report | Weather | Chance of Rain |
| 10:00 PM IST | Batting and spin friendly | Humid. Highest Temp – 31 Degrees | Light Showers every day |
Sri Lanka vs Australia: Players to watch out for
Sri Lanka:
Kamindu Mendis had a great last year with the bat in Tests with 1049 runs averaging 74.93 in nine games.
Dinesh Chandimal has scored 724 runs averaging 42.59 in the last 10 games.
Prabath Jayasuriya has been an in-form spinner with 48 wickets in the last nine games
Australia:
Travis Head, who will open the innings for Australia in the game, has been an in-form player. He has hit 646 runs in the last 10 games.
Nathan Lyon, who didn’t get to bowl enough during the India series, will have his say in this game.
Sri Lanka vs Australia: Who will win the match?
Scenario 1: Australia wins the toss and bat first
| Australia Total 1st innings | Sri Lanka Total 2nd innings | Australia Total 2nd innings | Sri Lanka 2nd innings |
| 550-600 | 350-400 | 200-250 | 120-140 |
Scenario 2: Sri Lanka win the toss and elect to bat first
| Sri Lanka Total 1st innings | Australia Total 2nd innings | Sri Lanka Total 2nd innings | Australia 2nd innings |
| 450-500 | 300-350 | 200-250 | 120-140 |
Sri Lanka vs Australia: Toss Prediction
Either team will look to bat first as history suggests that batting last in Galle is one of the most difficult jobs.
FAQs
Who will win the match?
Australia might come out as a winner although this is an away Test match for them.
What will be the weather prediction?
Every day of the Test match will be impacted by rain, not much though. Expect an early start from Day 2 to Day 5.
