Sports - Cricket
1ST TEST PREVIEW – SRI LANKA v AUSTRALIA
Even though still within the bounds of a domestic season down under, Australia is travelling to Sri Lanka for a quick couple of test matches.
Check out the Racing And Sports Preview for the Sri Lankan Tests this summer with a betting idea at the end.SRI LANKA v AUSTRALIA
1st Test
29 January – 2 February 2025 @ Galle
You only know of the importance of something when it is gone. This is undeniably true across so many aspects of life.
In the case of the Australian Cricket Team, we are about to witness a transition – both temporary and of a more permanent nature.
With Patty Cummins staying home for the birth of his second child, the 'safe harbour' that has been his tenure will be missed – both with ball, solidity late and in leadership. And so without him, adjustments come.
To perfectly articulate that, the end of the Indian series saw 10 players at 30+ years of age PLUS Sam Konstas barely eligible to vote.
Almost a decade of bowlers (fast and slow) have not regularly shown their wares with Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon holding court.
That is not to say the quartet have not been superb. Longevity is one of the most undersold facets of any form assessment.
But there are multiple quicks and spinners who we barely have seen at the elite level because of that. Boland gets first crack and look what he does. Webster steps in and shows technique.
However now we head to a completely foreign shore and an even more foreign environment. Spin friendly pitches really only manifest themselves in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
As we saw on the Test Tour of India just on two years ago, Australia played two spinners in each game and sometimes three. Lyon, Murphy and Kuhnemann trundling with regularity with the latter opening the bowling. Tack on Travis Head for good measure.
'Non-spin' nations mostly have complete revamps when they hit the subcontinent. This will be no different.
This tour will be similar in that there are back to back tests in Galle but held basically six months earlier in the year. How will the decks differ?
In 2022 the first one was a complete Bunsen burner. Australia was in a good degree of trouble before Green and Carey joined forces, sweeping almost every ball for an hour. The First Innings lead ended up essentially equalling the Sri Lankan second knock.
On this occasion, while the bowling will differ, the batting has some potential for headache and heartache. How will Sam Konstas play? He's but a mere pup in both age and experience.
Surely he can't be trying to replicate the 'Bumrah bashing'. The sugar hit helped the psychology of his side and put India off their axis. But the minute he loses his off-pole with any type of monotony, it will be for the scrap heap.
You'd love to see him make a lovely 50, playing straight with forward defence and excellent footwork. Then himself, the team, selectors and supporters will only build the faith.
19yos will of course play with an inventiveness and brashness that invites comment. And Konstas will build his game as he develops. These couple of mown strips will be some lesson.
Selectors perhaps started that evolution we spoke of with the inclusion of 21yo Cooper Connolly in the squad – a veteran compared to Konstas.
Amazingly, the kid from Perth has a grand total of 4 First Class games with a highest score of 90. It smacks of the approach England took with Jacob Bethell at the same age. He's played a few more FC fixtures but is yet to triple score too.
They've clearly identified something that they can bring to ageing sides. A very admirable reasoning one thinks. But think back to when the likes of Greg Chappell or Mark Waugh had made mountains of first class runs locally and in Country Cricket before being given their chance.
You won't get much more qualified than the stand-in Captain who is on the precipice of a grand landmark (assuming his fitness is not a major concern).
Steve Smith needs just a tickle to fine leg or an exotic cover drive and he'll join three other Australians in making 10,000 Test runs.
From the boy who debuted against Pakistan at of all places Lord's, batted at 8 and bowled leggies, Smith has become such an incredible player. You could have had Lillee/Marsh odds of him reaching five figures.
Frustratingly, as a result of SPD being unable to get over the bounce of Prasidh on the last day in Sydney, he will suffer the same fate as the majority of the others in achieving that landmark in front of a small crowd.
Allan Border (Sydney v Windies 1993) and Ricky Ponting (Antigua v Windies 2008) had crowds not jammed in and Smith will likely suffer the same fate. Only Steve Waugh, on that memorable afternoon in 2003, got to rejoice in the atmosphere.
Few will forget him flaying England around the SCG in 2003 in that late evening twilight when he brought up 10000 and also that career saving ton.
While beaten, they weren't thrashed by South Africa away from home bar for one pitiful innings of 42.
They need Chandimal and Mendis to make runs and hope Nissanka and Karunaratne get them off on good footing. The new ball Fernandos likely have the Galle locals drumming too.
Add in Kamindu Mendis batting in the middle order and coming off a great year featuring five hundreds and averages 123 at Galle.
But it comes down to how the Australian batsman handle the spin. Sure there is no Murali or even Herath but Jayasuria plus a few more mates will strike some fear. Don't expect a green seamer like Sydney.
Let's take him to bat well and make a few (just hoping the tail will hang around) albeit we have no Skipper to assist like he did him in Christchurch.
With renewal comes peaks and troughs, the highs of excitement and the lows of inconsistency. That was writ large with opinions of the Konstas debut. But it is also nice with a breath of fresh air.
| Suggested Bets First Innings: Alex Carey +25 Runs @ $2.00 Suggested Bets First Innings: Kamindu Mendis +50 Runs @ $2.55 |
