Cannot see Sri Lanka getting close to Australia....: Tim Paine

ANI February 4, 2025 118 views

Former Australian captain Tim Paine is super bullish about his national team's chances in the upcoming Test match against Sri Lanka. He's been singing praises of Australia's incredible performance in the first Test, highlighting standout players like Steve Smith and Josh Inglis. Paine believes the Australian team's quality is so high that Sri Lanka will struggle to compete on any playing surface. The second Test kicks off in Galle, with Australia already leading the series and looking to maintain their dominant form.

"Sri Lanka at the moment, unfortunately, I cannot see them getting close to Australia on any surface" - Tim Paine
Melbourne, February 4: Ahead of the second Test against Australia at Galle, former Australian captain Tim Paine said that he does not see Lankan Lions coming any close to the visitors on any surface.

Key Points

1

Australia leads 1-0 in Test series with commanding first match performance

2

Steve Smith praised team's near-flawless cricket display

3

Josh Inglis scored impressive debut century in first Test

The second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia will take place at Galle from February 6 onwards. With Australia, already having booked a spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), leading 1-0, Sri Lanka would like to bow out of their most successful WTC campaign on a high.

Ahead of the match, SEN cited Paine as heaping praises on Australia's all-round performance in the first Test, which they won by an innings and 242 runs.

"I think Steve Smith said himself in the post-game press conference that the performance was close to flawless," Paine told SEN.

"That is from Travis Head at the start, Usman Khawaja controlling most of that innings, Steve Smith coming out and playing like the wizard he is in those conditions, and then Josh Inglis on debut to score a Test match 100 is a really special moment for him."

"Then the bowlers, (Matt) Kuhnemann, (Nathan) Lyon, (Todd) Murphy and (Mitchell) Starc were all spot on the money."

"When you have got players of that quality - a bit like the women's team, play as well as they do - there are not too many teams that can go near them."

"Sri Lanka at the moment, unfortunately, I cannot see them getting close to Australia on any surface," he concluded.

Sri Lanka squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka (subject to fitness), Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sonal Dinusha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nishan Peiris, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

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