Sri Lanka Playing 11 vs Australia - 1st Test, Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2025

Sri Lanka will be taking on Australia in the first Test of the two-match series this week. The first Test is scheduled to get underway on Wednesday (January 29) in Galle.

The Islanders are already out of the race to qualify for the World Test Championship final. They will be looking to end the ongoing WTC cycle on a winning note. Sri Lanka have lost six of the 11 matches they have played in the ongoing cycle and will be keen to win the upcoming series.

So as Sri Lanka gears up to stun the reigning WTC champions, we are taking a look at the Sri Lanka Playing 11 for the first SL vs AUS Test.

Sri Lanka Playing 11 vs Australia - 1st Test, Australia tour of Sri Lanka 2025:

Openers: Dimuth Karunaratne, Oshada Fernando

Sri Lanka will have a new opening combination at least for the first Test against Australia. With opener Pathum Nissanka set to miss the series-opener owing to an injury, Oshada Fernando is likely to get a chance in the Sri Lanka Playing 11.

Fernando has opened the innings for Sri Lanka in 19 Test innings so far. Overall in 21 Tests, the right-handed batsman has scored 1091 runs with the help of a century and 7 half-centuries. His last Test appearance came in 2023 during the tour of New Zealand.

The other opener in the Sri Lanka Playing 11 is set to be the incumbent Dimuth Karunaratne. With Nissanka out, the onus will be on the veteran batsman to ensure that his team is off to a good start.

Middle-order batsmen and allrounders: Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva(c), Kusal Mendis(w), Sonal Dinusha

In Sri Lanka's last Test assignment which was against South Africa, Dinesh Chandimal managed to make a number of useful contributions. He played knocks of 88, 44 and 29 in testing conditions against the Proteas. The former Sri Lanka captain recently scored a century in the domestic circuit and will be looking to deliver against Australia.

Angelo Mathews is also coming into this series on the back of good form in domestic cricket. In his last four first-class innings, the veteran allrounder has hit three half-centuries and will be looking to make the most of his form.

Kamindu Mendis will be looking to start the year on a good note after enjoying a sensational outing with the bat in Tests last year. The left-handed batsman was recently named in the ICC Test Team of the Year after scoring a staggering 1049 runs in just 9 Tests including five centuries and three fifties.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva will be keen to lead his team from the front in the challenging series. His team will be relying on him not only for his leadership but for his batting and bowling as well. Dhananjaya will have to lead the charge with the bat in the middle order in addition to contributing with his spin bowling.

With conditions in Galle expected to favor spinners, Sri Lanka are likely to include uncapped Sonal Dinusha in the Sri Lanka Playing 11. A left-arm spin bowling allrounder, Dinusha has played 44 first-class games and has taken 94 wickets in addition to scoring 2285 runs with six centuries and 12 half-centuries.

Bowlers: Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Asitha Fernando

Given the conditions in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka are likely to have two specialist spinners and one frontline pacer in the Sri Lanka Playing 11 for the first Test.

Prabath Jayasuriya will be leading the spin attack and will have Nishan Peiris as his bowling partner. Asitha Fernando is likely to be the sole frontline pacer in the Sri Lanka Playing 11.