It will be a real challenge, but we're ready to go: Steve Smith

Australian captain, Steve Smith believes that the upcoming series against Sri Lanka will be challenging as the Aussies have a disappointing record in the sub-continent. The three Test match series starts from July 26 in Kandy and the World Champions will surely be looking to better their record in Sri Lanka.

“We haven’t performed all that well in subcontinental conditions over recent years… and that’s something we’re very keen to turn around,” Smith wrote in his column for cricket.com.au on Monday (July 25). “With the acclimatising and training that we’ve done, the guys are pretty much ready to play. We just have to fine-tune a few things to make sure we’re fresh and ready for the first Test.”

“I know it will be a real challenge, but I think we’re ready to go,” he added.

The 27-year old believes that the Australians are well set and prepared to turn around heir fortunes as they have experienced the sub-continent conditions from their previous tours.

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“As captain leading my first Test tour in subcontinental conditions, I’m hopeful that we can learn a lot from the way that we’ve played on these sorts of pitches previously and change the things that haven’t worked for us,” he said. “I’ve got a few different ideas of how to approach things as captain, and they revolve around the different way the components of the game get broken up in conditions like Sri Lanka, India and the UAE.”

“For example, the ball can swing quite a lot when it’s new but once the shine is off and it stops moving then that’s probably one of the best times to bat, while the ball is still hard,” he added.

He pointed out an emerging talent from its National Performance Squad (NPS) named Mitchell Swepson and he believes that some of them could emerge as future stars.

Also read – Jason Holder laments on poor performance in first Test

“I was impressed with quite a few of the young spinners, and Queensland leggie Mitchell Swepson caught my eye in the sessions where I saw him bowl,” he said. “He puts a lot of revs on the ball and he was pretty accurate as well. He’s obviously still very young but if he continues to develop as quickly as he has already, then I think he’s got a bright future.

“From the perspective of the NPS guys, I think it was a great chance for them to see how we prepare as an Australian Test team and to get a picture of the expectations that come when we’re entering a major series overseas,” he concluded.