Wed Jan 29 11:59:28 UTC 2025: ## Australia to Face Sri Lanka in Two-Test Series Ahead of WTC Final

**Colombo, Sri Lanka –** Australia, already secured a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, will begin a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on January 29th in Galle. This series serves as crucial preparation for the defending champions before their June clash against South Africa at Lord’s.

The series pits a strong Australian side, albeit one missing regular captain Pat Cummins, against a Sri Lankan team looking to rebound from a recent loss to South Africa. Steve Smith will lead Australia in Cummins’ absence. Sri Lanka, captained by Dhananjaya de Silva, will aim to end the WTC cycle on a high note on home soil.

Historically, Australia dominates the head-to-head record, winning 20 out of 33 Tests played since 1983. Sri Lanka has only secured five victories. The first Test will be broadcast live in India on Sony Sports Network and streamed on Sony LIV and FanCode. The match begins at 10 AM IST (Indian Standard Time).

**Playing XI:**

**Sri Lanka:** Dimuth Karunaratne, Oshada Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando.

**Australia:** Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (c), Josh Inglis, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy.

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