Sri Lanka vs Australia 2024/25, SL VS AUS 2nd Test Match Report, 06. – February 10, 2025

On By Littum

Throw Sri Lanka won the thrown and will beat first against Australia

Left-arm spinning Allrounder Cooper Connolly will make his test debut for Australia on a dry surface that is expected to produce considerable reversal as Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva won the thrown and selected for BAT in the second test in Galle.
21-year-old Connolly becomes the fourth debutant of Australia in just as many tests and replaces offspinner Todd Murphy from the side who smashed Sri Lanka in the series opener with a lap and 242 races.

Connolly is wicketless from 96 deliveries in four first -class matches, but he adds another Orthodox option for the Left. Pitch for this match is different from the slow surface used in the first test.

Allrounder Beau Webster, which can bowl nails and offspin, has held its place, and Australia’s Batting Depth has been strengthened with Connolly, averaging an average of 61.80 in his new first -class career listed at No. 8.

Although their chances of regaining Warne-Muralidaran trophy are over, Sri Lanka hopes on a strong jump back from their biggest defeat ever in the test cricket and they have made three changes.

They have been strengthened by the return of the opener Pathum Nissanka, who has recovered from a groin injury and replaces Oshada Fernando. Offspinner Ramesh Mendis returns to his first test match since the New Zealand series last September, with Benspinner Jeffrey Vanderersay omitting, while fellow Nishan Peiris retained his place despite going Wicketless from 41 overs in the series opening.

Once again, players will be confronted with suffocating humidity, but clear conditions are expected throughout the match after storming weather affected parts of the first test.

Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunararatne, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (Capt), 7 Kusal Mendis (WK), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Nishan Peiris, 11 Lahru Kumara

Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Travis Head, 3 Marnus Labuscagne, 4 Steven Smith (Capt), 5 Josh Inglis, 6 Alex Carey (WK), 7 Beau Webster, 8 Cooper Connolly, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Matthew Kuhnemann, 11 Nathan Lyon