The second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia starts on Thursday in Galle and the home side will be hoping for a vastly improved performance on how they went the first time round.
Aussies looking to inflict more damage as Karunaratne heads into last Test
Preview: Sri Lanka v Australia second Test
The first Test, also played in Galle, saw Australia win by a massive innings and 242 runs. The Baggy Greens won the toss and elected to bat first and they went on to amass a huge score of 654 for six declared. Sri Lanka simply had nothing by way of response as left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, playing in just his fourth Test, returned match figures of nine for 149.
Sri Lanka have hosted Australia seven times at Galle’s International Stadium. Australia have won four of those games, Sri Lanka two and one game, the first encounter between the two sides in 1999 was a draw.
Although it’s no guarantee of a win, the side that’s won the toss in each of the previous seven games between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle has elected to bat first.
Sri Lanka v Australia | 2nd Test | Thursday 06 February 2025 | International Stadium, Galle | 06:30am
Sri Lanka
Veteran opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne struggled in the first Test. Thursday’s game marks his 100th and final Test for Sri Lanka. He has announced that he will retire after the game. He’s been a great servant to Sri Lankan cricket, and he would love to bow out on a high. He currently averages 39.4 per innings and while it would be a big ask to see him edge his average above the 40 mark it is possible – especially for a player with a highest Test score of 244.
Sri Lanka have a very good home record. From their last 14 Tests at home, they have won nine times. They have beaten New Zealand, Ireland and the West Indies twice and have beaten Pakistan, Afghanistan and Australia once each. They have two losses against Pakistan, two against Australia and another against Ireland.
Left arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya is Sri Lanka’s highest ranked bowler in Test cricket at the moment, coming in at 10th on the ICC rankings. Since making his breakthrough into the side he has played 11 Tests at home and taken 84 wickets. His best performance was a return of seven for 52 with his wickets coming at an average of 23.64. Last time out though he was made to toil by Australia as he returned figures of three for 193 in a punishing 60 overs.
Sri Lanka have some excellent batsmen in their lineup. Kamindu Mendis moved past Travis Head in the ranking after the first Test and is now ranked sixth by the ICC, Dinesh Chandimal is 13 and Dhananjaya de Silva 15. Mendis is a relative newcomer to Test cricket with just 11 Tests to his credit. With two centuries from three Tests on home soil he currently averages 83.40 in Sri Lanka. By his standards he failed twice in the first Test with scores of 15 and 32. He will be looking to bounce back second time round.
Australia
Steve Smith is Australia’s top ranked batsman. He moved up three places after his knock of 141 in the first Test. It was a big Test for him as he brought up his 10000th run in Test cricket. Smith looked in complete control in the first Test and is a good bet to top score in the second Test.
The biggest winner for Australia in the first Test was veteran opener Usman Khawaja. While all the talk before the series opener was around Travis Head opening instead of Sam Konstas, it was Khawaja who simply got on with the business of scoring runs. He posted a 232 and was the mainstay of the batting effort. His knock saw him jump six places in the ICC rankings to 11th.
After close to 50 games for Australia in white-ball cricket, England-born Josh Inglis made his debut in the first Test and duly announced his credentials with a century on debut. His 102 from 92 balls was the product of the hard work done before him, but he cashed in beautifully to secure his place in the middle order – where it had been suggested Konstas would be rehomed after losing his place at the top of the order to Travis Head.
It mustn’t be forgotten that this is a vastly under-strength Australia side. They are without regular skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland. despite that they hardly put a foot wrong in the first Test as the home side were soundly humbled.
Once again, the wicket in Galle is expected to favour spin. Ahead of the series the list of leading Aussie wicket takers in Sri Lanka saw Shane Warne at the top, which is hardly a surprise. Warne took 37 wickets in the eight games he played in Sri Lanka. But that has changed, with Nathan Lyon now the man atop the list after his match return of seven for 135. While Lyon doesn’t get the pulse racing like Warne did, his ability to extract turn and bounce on subcontinental pitches will once again be instrumental. Expect him to be Australia’s leading wicket taker in the Test.
Verdict: Australia
It might not be their best team, but it is an excellent team for the conditions. The veterans are firing, and the newcomers are showing their mettle. Expect Dimuth Karunaratne to bow out with a loss.
