Australia to unleash spin twins in first Test

Australia will take a dual-spin attack into the first Test against Sri Lanka, starting tomorrow, after captain Steve Smith today confirmed an XI that includes both Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe.

AUSTRALIA XI: David Warner (vc), Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Steve O'Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon

Australia coach and national selector Darren Lehmann indicated last week that his team would employ the dual spin attack of off-spinner Lyon and left-armer O’Keefe unless they were confronted by the unlikely scenario of a Pallakele pitch that offered something for the quicks.

Warner warming for Kandy opener

But the continued presence of heavy cloud and a pitch that presented a 'tacky' surface due to residual moisture less than 48 hours before the coin toss meant the prospect of a three-man seam attack of strike bowler Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird was not out of the question.

However, at his pre-match media conference at Pallekele this afternoon, Smith confirmed that O'Keefe will play just his third Test alongside frontline tweaker Lyon, who goes into the match just five short of 200 career wickets.

Exclusive column: Captain says shift must start now

Despite the announcement on an XI, the Pallekele pitch remains an unknown quantity given it remained under covers while the Australians trained at the ground on Sunday due to overnight rain, with the potential for more thunderstorms to visit the region in Sri Lanka’s hill country over coming days.

The Australians will hold their final pre-Test training session at the ground this afternoon.

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Of the four Test matches played at Pallekele Stadium since it was built for the 2011 ICC World Cup, all have been affected by rain with the first three – involving the West Indies in 2010, Australia the following year and Pakistan in 2012 – ending in draws.

Quick Single: Warner preaches patience in Kandy

Only the most recent Test here between Sri Lanka and Pakistan (in July 2015) has produced a result, with Pakistan successfully chasing a victory target of 380 on the final day after spinners Yasir Shah (Pakistan) and Tharindu Kaushal (Sri Lanka) captured 11 of the 33 wickets to fall.

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But in the final stages of that Test, Pakistan seamer Imran Khan (5-58) was the stand-out bowler in Sri Lanka’s second innings while Pakistan pair Shan Masood (125) and Younis Khan (171no) were untroubled by pace and spin on the final days as they mounted a match-winning third-wicket stand of 242.

Which paved the way for the highest successful fourth-innings Test run chase recorded on Sri Lankan soil.