Sri Lanka vs Australia: 5 key player battles to watch out for

#5 Stephen O' Keefe vs Kusal Perera

Stephen o'Keefe was brilliant in the warm-up match

As has been the norm with the Australian teams over the years, they have announced their playing XI one day before the Test match. As expected left-arm spinner Steven O'Keefe has been included in the squad after he was mighty impressive in the warm-up games and also during the net sessions.

"He's probably bowling as well as I've seen him bowl. In the tour match, he bowled beautifully. He bowled the same ball and some skidded on and some spun. Quite similar to Rangana Herath, the way he bowls in these conditions", Steve Smith, the Australian captain said.

O'Keefe will be up against Kusal Perera who is arguably the most exciting batsman in this Sri Lankan squad who has the ability to grab the match by the scruff of its neck and dictate terms. He is a left-hander too and will be well placed to take on the left-arm spin of O'Keefe.

The left-hander has played many cameos in the recent past and now it is up to him to play few innings of substance and set up games for his side.