SL vs AUS: Sri Lanka’s spin bowling brigade and Australia’s struggles against spin

After an entertaining ODI series that went in favour of Sri Lanka, the series moves onto the game's longest format. Sri Lanka will lock horns with the mighty Australians in a two-match Test series, commencing on June 29. 

The hosts seem to be a rejuvenated side and will be bursting with confidence ahead of the series. Meanwhile, the visitors have been handed a reality check in the ODI series, showing just how competitive the Lankans can get.

Australia will undoubtedly want to do away with the bad memory of their last Test series in Sri Lanka in 2016. The Sri Lankans managed to dish out a 3-0 clean sweep back then. 

Pat Cummins and Co. will fear the same outcome in 2022, given their woes against spin bowling so far.

That said, Australia have a unique weapon in their ranks: off-spinner Nathan Lyon. However, his innate skills might not be enough against a ruthless opposition bowling attack. 

Sri Lanka have an entire spin-bowling brigade, including Praveen Jayawickrama, Lasith Embuldeniya, Jeffrey Vandersay and Ramesh Mendis. The hosts' spin attack inflicted maximum damage in the ODI series, with Australian batters left searching for answers.

Australian batter David Warner has often struggled to score away from home in Test cricket. However, Pat Cummins and Co. will bank on their experienced opener to negotiate the early phase of the innings. 

Warner will be accompanied by Usman Khawaja at the top of the order, who did the bulk of the scoring on the away tour of Pakistan a couple of months ago.

Perhaps, Australia's best shot at winning the series comes from the firepower and quality they have stacked up in their middle order. 

Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith have terrified the world's best bowling attacks over the past three years, and conquering the spin-favouring sub-continental pitches is something they will want to add to their repertoire. 

Labuschagne got his first taste of tricky sub-continental pitches when he performed way below his standards in the series against Pakistan.

Despite being Australia's second-highest run-getter against Pakistan, Steve Smith was nowhere close to his best either. The right-handed batter has failed to register a Test hundred in the last 18 months, a drought he hopes to end soon. 

Scoring above 8000 runs in red-ball cricket, Smith still shows signs of vulnerability against spin bowling. But again, we are talking about a phenomenon who scored a century on that 'rank-turner' of a Pune Pitch in 2017. 

Nathan Lyon will be a crucial weapon for Pat Cummins throughout the series. The off-spinner was the joint highest wicket-taker against Pakistan, with 12 scalps to his name. 

Sri Lankan players are generally good players of spin, especially when it comes to batting in their home conditions. Nathan Lyon will have to bring his A-game to make inroads into the experienced opposition batting lineup, consisting of Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews. 

The visitors have suffered a blow in the form of Ashton Agar, who is at least ruled out of the first Test. Lyon could be joined by Australian leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson. Going forward, the 28-year-old will see this as an opportunity to make a strong case for a spot in the playing 11.

Perhaps, Australia's trump card could come in the form of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell. Making his Test return after a five-year gap, Maxwell will look to carry on his exploits from the limited-overs format. 

He has been drafted into the squad following Travis Head's injury concerns. However, the 33-year-old will not relinquish his natural instincts and will take on the opposition bowling attack. 

In addition to his batting skills, Glenn Maxwell could also chip in with a few overs. The pitch at Galle is expected to offer assistance to the spinners right from Day One. Hence, Maxwell could come in handy with his off-spin bowling and maybe grab a couple of crucial wickets.

Sri Lanka have a very dynamic batting order, which has a mix of experience and youth. Pathum Nissanka has been an excellent find for Sri Lankan cricket in the past year, and he should be helpful around the experienced campaigners. 

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne is as reliable as it gets at the top of the order. With Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews filling up the middle order, Australia could face a real challenge in restricting the opposition to a low score. 

However, Chandimal and Mathews have not played much cricket in the past few months, and it will be vital for them to start the series on a positive note.

The first Test will be played at Galle from June 29 -July 3. The final Test will be played at the same venue in the second week of July, ending the Australian tour. 

Whether it is the Sri Lankan bowling attack that emerges on top or Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne pull off a masterclass, only time will tell.