Kangaroos Ready To Tame Lankan Lions

BENGALURU: Steve Smith, the Australian captain, believes that the upcoming Test series in Sri Lanka will be a tough challenge but has declared his team being "ready to go".

Australia go into the three-Test series as hot favourites despite a disappointing record in the subcontinent, where they have won just one Test from the past 15 since 2008.

Luckily for Australia, their only victory came in Galle five years ago during a 1-0 series victory under then captain Michael Clarke's first Test series as skipper. Smith will be captaining his first Test series in the subcontinent, a challenge he was excited about.

"We haven't performed all that well in subcontinent over recent years... and that's something we're very keen to turn around," Smith wrote in his column forcricket.com.au . "With the acclimatising and training that we've done, the guys are raring to go. We just have to fine-tune a few things to make sure we're fresh and ready for the first Test.”

"I know it will be a real challenge, but I think we're ready to go," he added.

Smith believed Australia are well prepared to take on Sri Lanka in the hot and sultry conditions of the subcontinent having learned crucial lessons from previous tours. "As captain leading my first Test tour in these conditions, I'm hopeful that we can learn a lot from the way that we've played on these sorts of pitches previously and change the things that haven't worked for us," he said.

The 27-year-old believed his captaincy would be tested to the hilt. "The challenge is to find the right mix of strategies, and the right times to atatck and then to pull back and be defensive," he said.

Australia's emerging palyers from its National Performance Squad (NPS) were in Colombo during the past week training with the Test squad. Smith believed some future stars could emerge from that group.

"I was impressed with quite a few of the young spinners, and Queensland leggie Mitchell Swepson caught my eye in the sessions where I saw him bowl," he said.

The skipper also gave out the fact that Steve O’Keefe  will partner Nathan Lyon for the series opener. Smith, who announced the playing eleven a day ahead of the first Test in Pallekele, said that he was sure of a fruitful partnership between the spin twins.

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