. Angus Fontaine here with you for the opening stages before Rob Smyth takes you home to stumps.
These two nations have been playing Tests against each other since 1983. In the 33 Tests over those 42 years, Australia has won 20 to Sri Lanka’s five, with eight draws. Overall, in 14 series, Australia has won 11 and Sri Lanka just two, with their sole triumphs coming at home in 1999 and 2016. However, the pendulum has swung back to Sri Lanka of late. Of the seven Tests contested in the past decade, Sri Lanka lead 4-3 (no draws).
If you’re looking for a form guide for 2025, look no further than the most recent two-Test showdown in 2022, the only drawn series ever staged between these countries, both played at Galle, today’s battleground.
Australia won the first Test by 10 wickets inside three days, with Nathan Lyon taking nine scalps and Travis Head 4-10 in the second innings. Sri Lanka then staged an epic fightback in the second Test. After Marnus Labuschagne (104) and Steve Smith (145) led Australia’s to 364, Dinesh Chandimal (206) swept Sri Lanka to 554 before Prabath Jayasuriya (6-59) rolled the visitors for 151 to seal victory by an innings and 39 runs.
It was a stunning reminder of how formidable Sri Lanka can be at home and why Australia are wary. Despite beating India 3-1 in the home summer and securing their berth at the World Test Championship in July, the No 1 Test side in the world somehow enter this 2025 series as underdogs.
The stage is set, the fuse is lit, and action gets under way at 3.30pm AEST.
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