Sri Lanka is set to host Australia in the first of a two Test series starting today.
It is the first time the two teams have met in a series since 2022, with that series ending in a tie after both teams claimed one victory each.
In selection news, Josh Inglis appears set to become Australia's 470th men's Test match player, earning a spot ahead of young gun Sam Konstas.
The bowling attack is yet to be settled on, with Scott Boland and Todd Murphy vying for one spot.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of today's action.
What time does the first Test start?
The action gets underway from 3pm in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania; 2pm in Queensland; 2.30pm in South Australia; and 12pm in Perth.
How can I follow the action live?
ABC Sport will be live blogging every ball across the series at abc.net.au/sport.
The team will also be calling the action live on digital radio, the ABC listen app, and via the buttons on abc.net.au/sport. See the full schedule here.
Channel 7 will be broadcasting the entire series between their main channel and 7mate, and via the 7plus app. Foxtel and Kayo will not be carrying the broadcast.
Who made it into the Australian and Sri Lankan squads?
Steve Smith — who needs one run to reach the 10,000 run mark — will captain the side after Pat Cummins decided to stay home for the birth of his second child.
Travis Head is set to open the batting, with Sam Konstas making way.
Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.
Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sonal Dinusha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nishan Peiris, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake.
What's the latest from Sri Lanka?
The pressure may be off, but the incentive is high for Australia to improve their dismal record on the subcontinent by claiming an elusive Test series victory in Sri Lanka.
Stand-in captain Steve Smith has admitted beating India in the finale of the recent home summer took the sting out of the tail for the two-match series.
A loss at the SCG would have left Australia relying on results in Sri Lanka to punch their ticket to the World Test Championship Final at Lord's later this year.
Instead, Australia mounted a successful day-three run chase to ensure they would meet South Africa for a shot at consecutive WTC titles.
"Every series is huge, I think this one's obviously a little bit less for us as we've qualified for the final," Smith said the day before the start of the opening Test against Sri Lanka.
"But you want to win every series that you play. We've got a really good squad, we've got all bases covered.
"Some guys might get an opportunity to showcase their skills and put their best foot forward for other Asia tours."
Putting their collective best foot forward on the subcontinent will motivate Australia in the absence of WTC implications.
Success in Asia has been hard to come by; a 1-0 defeat of Pakistan in 2022 marks Australia's only series win in any of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates or Bangladesh in the past 10 years.
The team has played seven Asian series in that time, with a 3-0 drubbing from Sri Lanka in 2016 the most one-sided.
Australia shared the spoils the last time they visited the island nation for two Tests in 2022, but their defeat in the second match marked the first time in 33 meetings they had lost to Sri Lanka by more than an innings.
Having conquered India for a first series win in a decade, Smith and the Australians are now eyeing the chance for success abroad.
"We weren't able to get the job done here last time. It was 1-1 and India, we weren't able to win there (in 2023)," Smith said.
"It's is a tricky place to play. It's foreign to us. A lot of us have played here now so we understand the conditions.
"It's going to be a tricky series, no doubt, but we're looking forward to it and hopefully we can get on top this time."
Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka will miss the first match with a groin injury and is likely to be replaced by either 19-time Test top-order batter Oshada Fernando or uncapped Lahiru Udara.
Nissanka is expected to be fit for the second match.
"We haven't decided on an XI as of now as the weather patterns are changing and we will make a final call tomorrow morning," said Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva on Tuesday afternoon.
AAP/ABC
