GALLE, Sri Lanka, Jan 29, (V7N) — Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and elected to bat in the opening Test of the two-match series against Sri Lanka at the picturesque Galle International Stadium on Wednesday.

Smith, standing in as skipper for the absent Pat Cummins, is on the verge of a historic milestone, needing just one run to reach 10,000 Test runs.

Australia handed a Test debut to Josh Inglis, rewarding his strong form in domestic cricket, while Travis Head moves up the order following the omission of teenage opener Sam Konstas.

All-rounder Beau Webster has been included and is set to share the new ball alongside veteran left-arm quick Mitchell Starc.

"Josh Inglis has been banging the door down in Shield cricket, so he gets his chance," Smith said at the toss. "Travis Head moves up the order, and we just have to adapt and play well in these conditions."

For Sri Lanka, Oshada Fernando returns to the squad in place of the injured Pathum Nissanka, while leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay bolsters their already spin-heavy attack.

"We are going in with just one seamer and three spinners, hoping Angelo Mathews can contribute a few overs," Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said. "Oshada is back, and Vandersay gives us more variety in the spin department."

Playing XIs

Australia

Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (capt), Josh Inglis, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Matt Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy.

Sri Lanka

Dimuth Karunaratne, Oshada Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kusal Mendis (wk), Prabath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Asitha Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay.

Match Officials

On-field Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZ), Adrian Holdstock (SA)

Third Umpire: Joel Wilson (WI)

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (NZ)

With spin expected to play a major role in Galle's turning conditions, the stage is set for an intriguing battle between Australia's batting depth and Sri Lanka’s formidable spin attack.

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