FILE PHOTO: Cricket - ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 - Final - Australia Practice - Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, India - November 18, 2023 Australia's Steve Smith during practice REUTERS/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
(Reuters) - Australia captain Steve Smith attributed their 2-0 series victory against Sri Lanka to the perfect execution of their batting plans against the turning ball in Galle.
A test series in Sri Lanka is often a trial by spin for any touring side but Australia came prepared with their batters using every trick in the book to unsettle Sri Lanka's formidable spin attack.
Australia needed to bat only once in the opening test when they amassed 654-6 declared after Usman Khawaja, Smith and Josh Inglis smashed hundreds.
In the second test, also in Galle, Smith and Alex Carey struck centuries as Australia swept the series after prevailing in a little over three days.
"The way we're playing the spinners at the moment, really good spinners, it's great to see," an elated Smith said after being adjudged player of the series.
"We had a really good training camp in Dubai for a week before coming here, where guys were just able to work on their methods.
"All of our batters bat really differently. Usman, Carey and Inglis use the sweep a lot. Myself and Marnus (Labuschagne) like to get down the wicket. Travis (Head) uses his crease really well."
"I think everyone has their own individual plans and sticks to it for long periods of time, and I think that's why we've been successful in this series."
Australia's spin bowlers also relished the turning track in Galle with Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon claiming 30 of the 40 Sri Lankan wickets between themselves.
Sri Lanka managed 165 and 247 in the opening test and 257 and 231 in the second.
Home captain Dhananjaya de Silva conceded they could not stop Australia from grabbing early control in both the tests.
"I am always talking about the first innings," the all-rounder said.
"Be it batting or bowling. We haven't done well. We had the best time to bat but 260 was not enough to win a test match."
He also felt the Sri Lankan spinners lacked the consistency of their Australian counterparts.
"The consistency was not there, I spoke to the coaches.
"They put the ball every time in the same place, with the same trajectory. It was very hard to score for the batsmen."
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
