SL v AUS, 3rd Test Preview: Lankans aim for a clean sweep

The third and final Sri Lanka v Australia Test will be played at the iconic and picturesque Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC). If one is to gauge what is the feeling for Angelo Mathews and his men as they go into the match, it will certainly be clear that they will want to complete a clean sweep. For Australia however, it is a case of redemption following two crushing defeats. That said, the stage could not be better for an encounter between these two sides, especially given what is at stake.

Pitch conditions:

The SSC is the operating base for cricketing operations in Sri Lanka. Therefore, if they do indeed complete the clean sweep over the Aussies, the venue certainly could not be a better one. However, as far as the wicket goes, it is clear that there will be another surface that assists spin bowling. Therefore, the crowds will certainly flock to the SSC to witness Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera make an attempt to reinvent their heroics from the previous Test.

Team Analysis

Sri Lanka

For Sri Lanka, this has been a tour of redemption. After a horrific tour of England, the Lankans will be mighty pleased with the way they have gone about performing on this tour. While many will certainly go on to make a case that the tracks have indeed been turning a fair bit, it would not be fair to assume that it has directly attributed to the success of Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, and Lakshan Sandakan.

Coming into the final Test match, the spotlight will be on Kusal Mendis. The right-handed batsman has made a genuine impact with the bat and has been the only batsman to score a century in the series. Moreover, it will also boost him up the batting rankings should he shine with the bat.

Australia

For perhaps the first time in their illustrious history, the Aussies have been at the receiving end of defeats in the subcontinent. Steve Smith and his men have been subjected to heavy criticism from former players and fans for their frailties against playing spin bowling effectively in the subcontinent.

However, among these terrible blemishes for the Aussies, one of the major factors that has stood out for the Aussies has been Mitchell Starc. His ability to bowl on turning pitches as well as pick up wickets has been something extraordinary. With 17 wickets to his name at the moment, Starc has not only claimed his spot on the rankings but also showed that good bowling eventually prevails.

Probable XI-

Sri Lanka:

Angelo Mathews (C), Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dhanajaya de Silva, Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Vishwa Fernando, Lakshan Sandakan

Australia:

Steve Smith (C), Peter Nevill (wk), David Warner, Joe Burns, Adam Voges, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Josh Hazelwood/Jackson Bird

StAttack:

1. Australia has won two of the four matches they have played at the SSC Ground in Colombo. Moreover, Australia has never lost to Sri Lanka at this venue.

2. Sri Lanka have never completed a clean sweep in Test cricket since being granted Test match playing status in 1981.

3. On the current tour, only six batsmen have made it past the 100 run mark. Of these, only 2 players are Australian. They are skipper Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh.

4. Kusal Mendis is the only player to cross the 200 run mark. Moreover, he is the only player to score a century in the series as well.

5. Mitchell Starc is the highest wicket-taker in the series with 17 wickets to his name. Only three players have over 10 wickets in the series with Herath (15) and Dilruwan Perera (11).

6. Steve Smith requires 28 runs to complete 3000 runs in Test cricket.

7. Rangana Herath is only the third bowler to complete 300 wickets in Test matches. The other two are Muttiah Muralitharan (755) and Chaminda Vaas (355).