Dubai stopover put Australia on path to big Test win

The Australian team’s stopover in Dubai set the tone for their blistering victory in the Test series opener against Sri Lanka, says stand-in captain Steve Smith.

Rather than book in a tour match in Sri Lanka, Australia flew to the subcontinent via Dubai for a five-day camp at the ICC Academy late last month.

There, Australia could order training wickets that were similar to the turning decks expected for the two-match series in Galle.

The weather was less sticky than what the tourists would go on to encounter in tropical Sri Lanka, but they nonetheless put in plenty of hard yakka on the training pitch.

One field session lasted six hours.

The team also spent time bonding with newer squad members Sam Konstas, Cooper Connolly and Beau Webster, enjoying rounds of golf, and could use the kind of professional gym facilities that are difficult to source in Sri Lanka.

It all helped Australia trounce Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in the first of two Tests, as they made the best of the kind of dusty, turning conditions that have troubled touring teams in the past.

From the moment Travis Head hit Asitha Fernando for three fours in the first over of the match, Australia were in control.

But Smith felt the squad had been locked in since before then.

“I thought the way we went about it was outstanding. Everyone stuck to their method,” he said.

“The guys trained exceptionally well in Dubai in the lead-up, we were able to develop some wickets that we wanted to work on some things.

“Then when we came here, similarly, guys did the same and really focused in two days out from the game and got their game plans completely in order and brought it all together.

“I thought our batting in the first innings was outstanding.”

Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya took his team to England ahead of last year’s Test tour to spend time acclimatising to greener decks.

He admitted Australia were wise to have taken similar step for their own unfamiliar conditions.

“It’s always good when you go on a tour like this,” he said.

“That advantage, yes of course, it works. That’s a good thing. Any team would do it.”

Australia will wait until late to confirm their XI for the second Test that begins next Thursday.

The batting order appears unlikely to be changed given their 6-654 – Australia’s largest-ever subcontinent total – that allowed the team to declare and later enforce the follow-on.

But ahead of the Test, conditions dictated whether paceman Scott Boland or Todd Murphy would be selected, with the third off-spinner finally getting the nod.

“We don’t know what we’re going to get,” Smith said.

“We’ll have a couple of days off now, probably a main session two days out and an optional session the day before and we’ll come down, look at the wicket and see what we think is best for the Test match coming up.”