SL vs AUS Dream11 Prediction: 3 Top Captain Or Vice-Captain Choices For 2nd Test

Aakash Saini

SL vs AUS Dream11 Prediction [Source: @ICC, @cricketcomau/x]SL vs AUS Dream11 Prediction [Source: @ICC, @cricketcomau/x]

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Sri Lanka (SL) will host the Australian (AUS) cricket team in the series-deciding second Test match at the Galle International Stadium from Thursday, February 6 onwards. Australia won the first Test at the same venue last week to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka looked serious contenders to seal a spot in the WTC finals by winning a dead-rubber in England, and by defeating New Zealand 2-0 at home last year. However, the Sri Lankans had their entire winning momentum disrupted by South Africa in an away series. 

Moreover, Sri Lankan batters and spinners also came up short against Australia on home conditions a few days ago. Barring Dinesh Chandimal and Jeffrey Vandersay, no other Sri Lankan batter managed to score a half-century in the series-opener at Galle last week. Even spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Jeffrey Vandersay had to toil for nearly 100 overs combined to collectively pick up six Australian wickets in the match.

Australia

The Australian cricket team has won four of its past five Test matches, and 12 of their 18 overall matches in the ongoing 2023-25 WTC cycle. They qualified for the WTC finals by defeating Team India at home last month, and even retained ‘Border-Gavaskar’ Trophy in the process. 

Known to struggle on subcontinental wickets, Usman Khawaja led Australia’s charge in the series opener by plundering his career-best score of 232. Khawaja’s special and collective spin brilliance of Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon ensured Australia took a 1-0 lead against hosts Sri Lanka.

Galle International Stadium, Galle – Pitch Report For SL vs AUS 2nd Test

Fast bowlers will likely receive early assistance with the new ball at the Galle International Stadium. However, much like any traditional Sri Lankan venue, the pitch will heavily favour batters and spinners as the match progresses. Even in the first Test played here last week witnessed spinners taking most of the key wickets. Batters will be required to bide their time and adjust to the surface in a bid to successfully combat spin. The captain winning the toss will likely opt to bat first.

Top 3 Captain and Vice-Captain Choices For SL vs AUS 2nd Test

3. Nathan Lyon

Why Nathan Lyon Will Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?

Senior Australian spinner: Nathan Lyon, a veteran of 135 Tests for Australia, has picked up 546 wickets in his career so far. He travelled to Sri Lanka as the leader of the Australian spin attack, and he is once again expected to play a crucial role on a turning Galle surface.

Impressive record in Sri Lanka: Nathan Lyon holds an impressive track record while playing in Sri Lanka. In just nine Tests he has played in the island nation, the cricketer has picked up 42 wickets at an average of 29.90. Moreover, he also claimed seven wickets in a match-winning cause in the first Test of the ongoing series last week.

2. Prabath Jayasuriya

Why Prabath Jayasuriya Will Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?

Sri Lankan spin spearhead: Prabath Jayasuriya holds a formidable record in Test cricket, having collected 110 wickets in just 35 innings spanning 19 matches. Moreover, he holds an impressive average of 30.17 and is currently leading the Sri Lankan spin attack.

Familiar with home conditions: Prabath Jayasuriya is even more lethal on home conditions, averaging 25.09 after playing 11 Tests. He has picked up 84 wickets in Sri Lanka so far.

1. Usman Khawaja

Why Usman Khawaja Will Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?

Prolific opener: Usman Khawaja is one of the seniormost members in the current Australian team. He has hauled 5,867 runs in his career so far at an astonishing batting average of 45.48.

Recent form: Usman Khawaja recently overcame his batting struggles by mounting his career-best Test score of 232 against Sri Lanka last week. Listing his 16th Test century and his first double ton, the cricketer stood tall for his country for 352 deliveries and walked away with a ‘Player of the Match’ award.