Aussies expect extra spin from Galle surface for second Test

A reinstatement of Galle's early-year weather patterns coupled with an additional day of preparation time means Australia are expecting an even barer, drier pitch for the second Test against Sri Lanka starting Thursday.

The lead-in to the series opener – which Australia won by an innings and 242 runs inside four days – was plagued by daily monsoonal downpours which meant the pitch at Galle initially sported a 'tacky' surface and only began to take spin on days three and four.

By that stage, Australia had piled on their highest-ever Test innings total in Sri Lanka – 6(dec)-654 – and were able to attack the home team's batters relentlessly as conditions became more challenging.

From what Australia gleaned upon turning up for their main pre-Test training session today, which was also Sri Lanka's Independence Day holiday, the track for the next game will likely take spin earlier in proceedings after being best for batting on day one.

It has been prepared under fine conditions since the first game ended a day earlier than scheduled, with the welcome sunshine helping to bake a hardness into the surface that was lacking in last week's fixture.

As newly crowned Allan Border Medallist Travis Head noted following a quick inspection of the surface which was baking under more cloudless Galle skies this morning, it appeared even more barren than the closely-shaved strip used in the series opener.

But as Australia have discovered on previous visits to Sri Lanka including their most recent in 2022, the nature of Test pitches can alter markedly in the 24 hours before the coin is tossed.

"It probably looks a little bit dry but looks a really good wicket still," Head said today, not-quite-so-fresh from his Medal-winning celebrations last night.

"As we know, over the next couple of days we'll see how that plays out and where we get to on the first morning.

"It probably looks like it's got a little bit less grass on it than the previous Test.

"It looks like it will spin earlier, but it looks at the moment like the first couple of days will be good for batting and then it will spin.

"Like we've said in the last couple of weeks, it's just being able to adapt when that moment, that shift (happens).

"And what we saw in the first Test was probably that day three moment where it shifted to heavy spin, and we were able to capture the moments."

The Australians are also aware of the certain symmetry at play when they recall that 2022 tour, on which they also recorded a hefty victory in the first of two Tests at Galle only to be greeted by a vastly different pitch that brought an innings defeat in the second.

Having suffered the biggest defeat in their 43 years as a Test-playing nation, Sri Lanka are unlikely to leave any stone unturned in the search for a more competitive effort from Thursday.

There had been speculation within the Australia camp the home team might even use the same pitch for both Tests, but that was scotched when Sri Lanka employed that surface for centre-wicket 'naughty-boy nets' on what should have been day five of the first match.

After they rolled out a raging turner for the first Test of 2022, Sri Lanka then dialled back preparation of the next Test strip to be more batter-friendly across the first days before taking significant spin.

Head does not believe the pitch being prepared for the game starting Thursday will replicate those conditions, on which Australia were bowled out for 151 in just 41 overs on day four.

"It's a lot different from the first Test (in 2022)," Head said today.

"I remember that one, the ends being really, really dry and the middle being rolled very, very heavily to take Starcy (Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc) out of the game.

"It looks traditionally a really, really good wicket.

"You could play on it right now and you'd be happy (but) we've still got two days so I guess anything could play out in these conditions."

It seems likely Australia will stick with the same spin combination of Nathan Lyon, Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy as well as Starc who (like Lyon) spent today's training run walking laps of the ground followed by a short gym session.

However, uncapped spin-bowling allrounder Cooper Connolly bowled an extensive spell in the nets today and – should the pitch be deemed a rank turner come match day – his lower-order hitting could prove as valuable as his left-arm orthodox bowling.

Fellow allrounder Beau Webster practiced his medium-pacers in the centre-wicket net alongside auxiliary pacemen Scott Boland and Sean Abbott, with the latter pair sending down longer spells in today's enervating heat.

They bowled at teenage opener Sam Konstas who was replaced by Head at the top of the order for the first Test against Sri Lanka, as well as Marnus Labuschagne who didn't assume his customary place in the nets until near the end of the team's two-hour session.

In the aftermath of his team's humiliating first-Test loss, Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya acknowledged their three-pronged spin attack operated too slowly on the surface where Australia's trio of tweakers captured 17 wickets between them.

"I expected them to probably bowl a little bit quicker, but they know these conditions so well and they've had so much success here," Head said of the venue where Sri Lanka now play a bulk of their Test matches.

"There's a lot of different ways to skin it, so we bowled at a quicker pace but that's a lot different from day one to day three as well.

"Obviously we've seen the wicket take spin later in the game.

"We were in a beautiful position, we batted well but they (Sri Lanka) will look to get better and we expect them to come back in a place where they do well.

"We’ve got to make sure we're on our best game."

It is unknown how many changes the hosts will make to the XI from the record-breaking defeat, with most interest focused on whether opener Pathum Nissanka has sufficiently recovered from a groin injury to take his place.

Nissanka's replacement at the top of the order, Oshada Fernando, managed scores of seven and six in the first Test but the other specialist top-order batting option in Sri Lanka's 18-man squad is uncapped Lahiru Udara.

Incumbent opener Dimuth Karunaratne is also expected to call time on his 14-year after the upcoming Test in which he will become the seventh Sri Lanka men's player to reach 100 appearances.

Karunaratne, who captained Sri Lanka in 30 Tests between 2019 and 2023, reportedly told the national Daily FT newspaper he planned to retire from all forms of cricket after his upcoming milestone match before emigrating to Australia with his family.

Given the scope of their win in the first Test and the prospect of a similar, if more spin-friendly pitch for the second, it would seemingly take an extraordinary turn of events for Australia to make changes to their batting line-up.

But coach Andrew McDonald has already foreshadowed they are likely to revert to a more traditional order for their following Test assignment, the World Test Championship final against South Africa to be played on an early summer pitch at Lord's in mid-June.

Head confirmed today he expected to return to his habitual role in the middle-order for that fixture, with Konstas – who made such a memorable entrance into Test cricket against India on Boxing Day – tipped to be reinstated at the top.

"Most likely I'd go back in the middle-order and Sam would open," Head said of Australia's upcoming defence of the Test trophy they won against India in 2023.

"But I'm glad I'm not a selector – Josh (Inglis) has made an amazing start (to his Test career), Greeny (allrounder Cameron Green) will be fit so it's going to be hard to fit in.

"That's what we want, an Australian cricket team that's tough to get in, want an Australian cricket team where it's all pushing for spots.

"That's all we've ever known, players that are unlucky and that are in the team and expecting to perform.

"That's where the pressure comes, trying to hold your spot every Test knowing there's people behind you."

Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka

First Test: Australia win by an innings and 242 runs

Second Test: February 6-10, Galle (3.30pm AEDT)

Sri Lanka Test squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka (subject to fitness), Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sonal Dinusha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nishan Peiris, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

First ODI: February 12, Colombo (3.30pm AEDT)

Second ODI: February 14, Colombo (3.30pm AEDT)