Quantcast

Slow going a timely reminder for patience

All Australia batsmen got starts but none could cash in as the scale of subcontinent challenge was made clear

Australia opener Joe Burns was handed a reminder of the challenges that await in his maiden Test tour of the subcontinent.

Not that he particularly needed it.

Burns is currently the top-scorer in the three-day tour match against a Sri Lankan Board XI after his knock of 72 from 131 deliveries, but the opening hour of play on day two again showed how difficult it can be to start – or restart in Burns' case – an innings for tourists on the Asian pitches.

After an impressive opening to his innings on the first evening, Burns could only manage eight more runs in nearly 50 minutes of batting when play resumed on Tuesday, before eventually being bowled attempting to drive Vimukthi Perera back down the ground.

It was further reinforcement of the team's directive to build an innings patiently in their efforts to avoid the sudden collapse of wickets that can become increasingly prevalent against the spinning and reverse-swinging ball.

Smith screamers highlight O'Keefe's haul

"We've talked about as a batting group we're going to have to try and be really patient for long periods on the subcontinent," Burns told reporters after Australia made it to stumps at 9-431 with a day to play.

"If they bowl good areas, then it's just tough work, tough to score, tough to get going and you have to be committed to trying to bat all day.

"It's just the nature of the conditions. You're kind of at the mercy of the ball, the wicket, the fielding situation.

"You just have to be prepared to buckle in and go with it."

Quick Single: Aussie batsmen fine-tune in Colombo

Although none of the Australian batsmen have been able to go on and turn the multitude of starts into something substantial, Burns believes each player would take confidence out of lengthy stint in the middle batting in the Sri Lankan heat.

Image Id: ~/media/4B82C03E43BD4F5B90DCF38CA21F82C1 Image Caption: Burns chats with Murali on the sidelines // Getty

"That's the one disappointing thing to come out of the day," said Burns. "All our batters spent some time at the crease, but for no one to go on and get a big score.

"But it's also a good thing to have guys get some time in a competitive environment.

"It's always nice to get some match experience and be able to transfer the things you're doing in the nets out into a first-class game."

Aussie batsmen dig in against SL XI

The Australians return to the P Sara Stadium for the final day of the first-class fixture with a 202-run lead and just the one wicket in hand.

The hit-out thus far has been a success for Darren Lehmann's men, with the bowlers getting overs into the legs and batsmen getting a feel for the conditions in a competitive environment.

The first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia begins in Kandy on Tuesday.


The schedule

The first of three Tests starts at the Pallekele International Stadium, just outside the mountain city of Kandy in Sri Lanka's centre, on July 26. Australia also play five one-day internationals and two T20s against Sri Lanka. Match dates and times for all Australia's games on the two-month tour of Sri Lanka can be found here.

What’s at stake?

With the Caribbean ODI Tri-Series trophy safely in Australia’s hands, attention now turns to the Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka, where they'll face the hosts in three Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.

Australia will be handed another piece of silverware before the series even starts, when they are awarded the ICC Test Championship mace after reclaiming the No.1 Test ranking against New Zealand in February.

Australia and Sri Lanka will be competing for the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy in the Test series; Australia are the current holder of the trophy following their 3-0 series win over Sri Lanka on home turf back in 2012. The trophy was introduced for the 2007-08 series in Australia, with the Aussies claiming the prize all three times it has been up for grabs.

The Test squads

Australia confirmed they will look to speed as much as spin to defeat Sri Lanka by naming six seamers – including recalled pair Nathan Coulter-Nile and Moises Henriques – in their 15-man Test squad.

The spin-bowling duties will be carried by New South Wales pair Nathan Lyon and Stephen O'Keefe, the latter returning to the squad having been selected for last summer's final Test against the West Indies but overlooked for the two-match tour to New Zealand on green, seaming pitches.

Meanwhile, David Warner is expected to be fit and ready to go for the first Test after being ruled out of Australia's ODI tri-series in the Caribbean after copping a blow to his left index finger while fielding in St Kitts.

While the 29-year-old missed Australia's intra-squad warm-up match and has been carrying drinks during the current first-class fixture, Warner isn's worried about going into the Test series with a lack of practice under his belt.

Sri Lanka have yet to name a squad for the first Test, but they will be sweating on the fitness of several players after five bowlers, including Mathews himself, suffered injuries during the England tour.

The hosts will be without paceman Dushmantha Chameera after he suffered a back injury that forced him to return home from the tour of England, while it’s not known yet whether fellow quick Dhammika Prasad has recovered from a shoulder injury suffered before the first Test in Leeds.

Sri Lanka will also be without seamer Shaminda Eranga, who has been banned from bowling after his action was found to be illegal last month.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (v-c), Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Nathan Lyon Steve O'Keefe.

Sri Lanka squad: TBC


The Form

Australia is coming off excellent form in the 50-over format, having claimed the ODI tri-series against West Indies and South Africa in the Caribbean last month.

In the Test arena, Australia defeated New Zealand on home soil in February, with their 2-0 series win propelling them back to the top of the Test table.

Sri Lanka recently returned home from a disastrous tour of England that saw them lose the Test series 2-0, the five-match ODI series 3-0 (with one tie and one washout) and also concede the only Twenty20 international in chilly English conditions.

Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews blamed the fitness issues for his team's winless tour but he is hopeful the advantage of home conditions will aid his team against Australia.

How to watch?

Fox Sports has confirmed it will broadcast every match of the series. For those without access to Fox Sports' paid subscription service, cricket.com.au will continue its comprehensive ball-by-ball live scoring service as well as providing video highlights and all the news from our team on the ground.

Online: Follow all the action with exclusive behind-the-scenes vision and in-depth coverage from the cricket.com.au team on the ground via these social media channels:

Facebook: cricket.com.au and the Australian Cricket Team official pages

TwitterInstagram and add 'cricketcomau' on Snapchat.

Image Id: ~/media/D65AD71CEB0B42E6B0B94486F15F9CC1