"I've got my notes on the Australian batsmen from the Ashes" - Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood on plans against the visitors

Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood will take charge of the Test side for the first time in home conditions. The 47-year-old was appointed Sri Lanka coach in April after being axed by the England Cricket Board (ECB) in the midst of their rebuilding process.

Silverwood was in close quarters as Australia ran riot to defeat England by a 4-0 margin in the 2021-22 Ashes. The coach meets the Pat Cummins-led side once again, albeit in vastly different conditions and circumstances.

Claiming to have kept tabs on the Australian batters over the course of the Ashes series, Silverwood said ahead of the first Test in Galle:

"I keep notes on everything. I'm an avid scribbler, so I've got my notes on the Australian batsmen from the Ashes. I'm not going to go too much into the Ashes but whatever knowledge I can bring from there and bring to our guys, I will."

Sri Lanka will compete in a two-match Test series against Australia at the Galle International Stadium, beginning from June 29. The island nation are currently placed fourth in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.

"One of the most exciting things is we're still nowhere near the potential we have in that team" - Chris Silverwood

The former England coach led Sri Lanka to a 1-0 series win over Bangladesh during his first series in charge. He also guided the white-ball side to a historic 3-2 win in the ODI series a few days back.

Building on the foundation set up by former coach Mickey Arthur, Silverwood believes the current group of players have tremendous potential. He said:

"One of the most exciting things is we're still nowhere near the potential we have in that team, yet we are still pushing the one of the best teams in the world. That's very exciting, and we've more to come."

He added:

"Certainly, the guys who play multi-format, it will give them confidence going into the Test series. I want the guys who went to Bangladesh to bring the confidence from that series win into this one. I want the guys who play all formats to take knowledge of the bowlers they face, the batters they bowled to they can take that knowledge forward with them."

Sri Lanka Cricket named an 18-man squad for the Test series against the visitors. Led by Dimuth Karunaratne, the side marks the return of Pathum Nissanka to the Test circuit as well as a strong spin attack.