How Australia can capitalise on Sri Lanka’s “insecurity issues” in Galle

Australia head in favourites for the upcoming two-match Test series in Galle despite not winning a series in Sri Lanka since 2011.

Since that 1-0 victory in 2011, Australia has lost 0-3 in 2016 before tying the last series 1-1 in 2022.

Despite only winning one of their last seven Tests away in Sri Lanka, veteran cricket journalist Robert Craddock is confident that Australia can get the job done this time around.

One reason he thinks that Australia holds the upper hand is the aura they possess as the world’s No.1 team, and he thinks that the Sri Lankans hold some deep-seeded insecurities against the Aussies who hold an 18-5 overall Test head-to-head record over them.

With that in mind, Craddock isn’t against Australia batting all three of Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja and Travis Head in the top three with Marnus Labuschagne moving to five.

He feels Konstas and Head, in particular, could be able to land a decisive blow if they can get on top in a blistering hour of batting.

“I don’t mind if Head and Konstas bat together, because you generally get that hour in Sri Lanka where the ball's new and you can really rock them if you go hard,” Craddock told SEN's Whateley.

“I still reckon deep, deep, deep down, Sri Lanka have insecurity issues against Australia.

“If you stay close to them and you’re Australia, Sri Lanka can crumble because they're still a little bit in awe of Australia.

“That stretches right back to Shane Warne's first breakthrough Test in Sri Lanka when Allan Border threw him the ball and said, ‘See how you go’, and he won them a Test.

“If you start strongly against them, you can rattle them, and you can roll them.

“So, I don't mind the Konstas and Head pair if that's what it comes to.”

Australia will name their XI for the first Test at the toss on Wednesday in Galle.

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