Sri Lanka are set to take on Australia in a two-match Test series after a triumphant ODI series victory. Pat Cummins’ Australia have been of a different class in the longest format of the game decimating their opposition teams in every series.
The team blew away England at home and won the Ashes in a commanding fashion with a 4-0 victory, and then forced out a result against Pakistan in dead pitches.
The side will face a new challenge of spin in their upcoming series, something they have not encountered at all. While Australia mulls their combination, Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood has stated that he will use all his Ashes experience to give an advantage to the home team.
“I keep notes on everything. I’m an avid scribbler, so I’ve got my notes on the Australian batsmen from the Ashes,” Chris Silverwood said ahead of the game on 29 June.
“I’m not going to go too much into the Ashes but whatever knowledge I can bring from there and bring to our guys, I will,” the former England coach added.
“Just to see the tactics coming together, to see guys out in the middle scoring runs, to see how we’ve chased totals down,” he talked about batting against the famed Australian bowling line-up.
The former English cricketer argued that the Sri Lanka team is nowhere near realising its potential and has been able to push one of the best sides in the world.
“One of the most exciting things is we’re still nowhere near the potential we have in that team, yet we are still pushing the one of the best teams in the world. That’s very exciting, and we’ve more to come,” he said.
Sri Lanka will be confident after defeating Australia in the ODI series, where they kept the Aaron Finch team under pressure with their ability with spin bowling. Silverwood has backed the all format players to come good against the Australian line-up and hoped that the players would use their knowledge to full effect.
“Certainly, the guys who play multi-format, it will give them confidence going into the Test series. I want the guys who went to Bangladesh to bring the confidence from that series win into this one. I want the guys who play all formats to take knowledge of the bowlers they face, the batters they bowled to they can take that knowledge forward with them,” he said.
“We have to be on the ball because Australia are a good side. So we’re going to have to prepare well, and we’re going to have to play well because I know one thing; the Australians are going to come hard at us,” concluded Silverwood.