Australia focused on extending Test gap

As Australia prepare for their first Test campaign since reclaiming the ICC No.1 ranking in February, Usman Khawaja believes the series against Sri Lanka is arguably the team's most important assignment in 2016.

Australia's recent record in Asia has been well documented – just one Test win in the past 10 years for those still catching up – but the tourists go into the three-Test series as heavy favourites against an inexperienced Sri Lankan team in transition following the retirements of legendary duo Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara.

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Khawaja and spinner Nathan Lyon are the only members of the current squad who featured in that sole Test victory against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2011, but the team's thorough preparation ahead of the series opener on July 26 ensures they will have no excuses this time around.

While a bumper home summer awaits with Tests against former powerhouse South Africa and the always surprising Pakistan, Khawaja suggests the next five weeks will present the biggest challenge for a batting line-up largely bereft of any experience batting in the subcontinental conditions on the island nation.

"We know it's always going to be harder to win away from home than to win at home," Khawaja said following the completion of Australia's intra-squad hit-out.

"That's common sense almost because we play at home all the time, we know the conditions, we know how to play on them so in a way it's always going to be easier to play at home and places where it's similar to home.

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"The subcontinent is probably the place where it's most different for us compared to home.

"We always want to win away from home but it always feel better when we win in subcontinental conditions because it's so much different to what we get every time we play in Australia.

"It's as important, if not more important than home because we're always expected to win at home."

With England currently taking on Pakistan – No.3 and No.4 on the ICC Test rankings respectively – and second-ranked India about to begin their four-Test series against the struggling West Indies, Australia quickly find themselves the target for a growing number of sides with their sights set on top spot.

Khawaja said maintaining the hold on the No.1 ranking is a key factor for coach Darren Lehmann and the group before the home Test summer begins in early November.

"We wanted to stay number one and bridge as big a gap as we can and obviously 'Boof' (Lehmann) and 'Smudge' (captain Steve Smith) always talk about winning away from home," he said as the team enjoyed a day off in Colombo.

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"That's a big thing for them so this is another challenge, for us to win away from home.

"We did it last time we were here and we want to do it again, and this is the last away series before we go back home so it's very important to us."

While the pitches likely to confront Australia in Sri Lanka aren't vastly different to those seen in the World T20, IPL and recent Caribbean tri-series, Khawaja admits it was an odd feeling seeing a red ball being hurled at him for the first time in almost five months.

"A change is nice and it's always nice that we've got three forms of the game," Khawaja replied when asked if he missed the longer format following his red-hot form during the home summer.

"It can be a lot sometimes but at the same time it's nice to go through them.

"We haven't played red-ball cricket for a while so I think that's probably the biggest change.

"It's weird seeing the red ball come down the first time but other than that I think everyone's been enjoying their time here and we're very excited to just get into that first tour match."

While Khawaja missed out on a lengthy stint in the middle with scores of 16 and 5 in the two-day practice match, the classy left-hander will get another opportunity when the tourists take on a local Board XI in a three-day encounter back at P Sara Stadium starting on Monday.