Australia v Sri Lanka Test series: Tourists will be better acquainted with pink ball at Gabba than hosts
The latest by-product of a convoluted calendar will give Sri Lanka, who have won every day-night Test they’ve contested, a better chance to get reacquainted with the pink pill than Australia.
Day-night dynamos Sri Lanka will enjoy more pink-ball practice than Australia before the series-opening clash under lights at the Gabba.
Scheduling has been a source of frustration for Australian players in recent years, including the domestic one-day competition effectively becoming a pre-season tournament plus the Sheffield Shield’s mid-season hiatus.
The latest by-product of a convoluted calendar will give Sri Lanka, the only side apart from Australia to have won every day-night Test they’ve contested, a better chance to get reacquainted with the pink pill than their hosts.
Sri Lanka wrap up their tour of New Zealand with a Twenty20 on Friday then head to Hobart for a pink-ball tour game that starts on January 17.
The two-Test series starts with a day-night clash in Brisbane on January 24, when the tourists will seek to record their first Test win in Australia.
The bulk of Australia’s Test squad will either rest or take part in a three- match ODI series against India before assembling in Brisbane.
Tim Paine and his teammates haven’t played a pink-ball game, either at first-class or Test level, since defeating England under lights at Adelaide Oval in the 2017-18 Ashes.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who have both produced some of their best performances with a pink Kookaburra, should enjoy the prospect of additional seam and swing movement after struggling to trouble India on flat MCG and SCG pitches.
But the pink ball is patently different to the red and white, hence why day-night Shield rounds were scheduled in previous seasons to help players prepare for day-night Tests.
India rejected Australia’s pleas for last month’s Adelaide Oval Test to be a day-nighter, fearing they wouldn’t have sufficient pink-ball preparation.
Steve Smith personally pushed for NSW to face Queensland under lights at the Gabba to start the 2016-17 Shield season, a request that Pat Howard accommodated.
Marnus Labuschagne made a good impression on Smith, Starc and Hazlewood in that match, scoring 85 not out.
“I went alright there ... it’s so long ago, we haven’t played a pink ball game for a while now,” Labuschagne said.
“The pink ball always adds that little bit of an element of something different.
“Especially at the Gabba, where there’s a little bit more pace and bounce in the wicket. It’s an exciting Test.”
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka recalled batsman Kusal Perera to a 16-member squad for the series.
Injuries kept Perera out of the New Zealand Test series which Sri Lanka lost 1-0, but he was included in the shorter formats of the game.
He takes his place back in the Test squad for Australia as selectors dropped Dhanushka Gunathilaka over his poor form in New Zealand.
Sri Lanka Test squad for Australia: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera and Kasun Rajitha
DAY-NIGHT TEST RECORD
Australia: 4 wins from 4 games (defeated New Zealand in 2015, defeated South Africa and Pakistan in 2016, defeated England in 2017)
Sri Lanka: 2 wins from 2 games (defeated Pakistan in 2017, defeated West Indies in 2018).
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