SL vs AUS: Mitchell Swepson to be picked in first Test, confirms Pat Cummins

Australia have included leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson for the first Test match against Sri Lanka starting on June 29 (Wednesday) at the Galle International Stadium. Skipper Pat Cummins shared this information on June 28 (Tuesday) describing Swepson as an “important cog” of their bowling.

Batting might not be easy on the Galle track with spinners having a major say in the match and tweakers from both teams will want to bowl a disciplined line and length and try to scalp wickets.

“Just want to see how Travis gets through, so we give him bit more time. But yes, Mitchell Swepson will be the second spinner in the Test match, We’re really happy with Swepo. I think he is bowling beautifully and really ready for this one,” Cummins told reporters.

“I think his role here might be slightly different as well. Pakistan we knew was going to be a slow grind and I thought he did his job despite not taking the wickets he would like. He was a really important cog in that bowling engine,” he added.

The Australian pacer also accepted the fact that Sri Lanka are a tough team to beat in their backyard. “I think Sri Lanka play really well over here, it’s quite different from what we experience in Australia. They are going to pose a challenge but we are up for it,” said Cummins.

Prominent batter Steve Smith has been confirmed to play the first Test match while all-rounder Glenn Maxwell might also find a place in the playing XI for the first time in five years. Maxwell got included in the squad after Travis Head was ruled out of the series due to a hamstring strain.

The home side also announced a strong squad for the series with skipper Dimuth Karunaratne leading the team. The likes of Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, and Kusal Mendis will want to play a vital role in the batting department.