Australia will play two spinners in the first Test against Sri Lanka here Tuesday, captain Steve Smith said as the world's top-ranked side eyes a turnaround in its poor record on the slow pitches in Asia. Smith confirmed his side Monday with both off-spinner Nathan Lyon and left-armer Steve O'Keefe making the cut for the first match in the three-Test series. "I think he has always improved. Each year he's played he has improved," Smith said of O'Keefe, who took 10 wickets and made an unbeaten 78 in a tour match last week. "In the tour match he bowled beautifully. He bowled the same ball and some skidded on and some spun — quite similar to (Sri Lanka spinner) Rangana Herath, the way he bowls in these conditions." [caption id="attachment_71434" align="alignright" width="300"] Australian cricket team captain Steve Smith bowls during a practice session ahead of their first cricket Test match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, Monday. — AP[/caption]Smith, appointed Australia's Test captain after the Ashes loss in England last year, is yet to lose a Test when leading the side. However, he will have his work cut out in Asia with Australia having failed to maintain its high standards in these parts barring a series win over lowly Bangladesh in 2006. "We'd like to turn that around," said Smith, the world's top-ranked test batsman. Left-armer Mitchell Starc will be back after a long injury layoff to lead Australia's pace attack. Smith wants his team to put pressure on the inexperienced Sri Lankan side, which is ranked seventh in the world, struggling after the retirements of batting greats Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Angelo Mathews' side, which lost its last two Test series in New Zealand and England, is reeling from injuries to its fast bowlers. Dhammika Prasad and Dushmantha Chameera have been ruled out while Suranga Lakmal is also doubtful due to an ankle complaint. Shaminda Eranga was recently suspended for an illegal action. "It has been a very frustrating few months," Mathews said, adding the team needed a bigger pool of bowlers. "Not only one bowler, we've lost so many. "At international level, I can't go as a captain and say we don't have bowlers. If we don't have them, we need to know how to produce them." Sri Lanka files complaint over legend Murali Sri Lanka's cricket board lodged a complaint Monday with the visiting Australians after their bowling consultant and local legend Muttiah Muralitharan was involved in a bust-up with his former colleagues. On the eve of the first of three Tests, board president Thilanga Sumathipala accused Muralitharan of insulting Sri Lanka team manager Charith Senanayake in a row over the Australians' use of a practice pitch. "Muralitharan's behavior is unacceptable and we have brought this to the notice of the Australian team management," Sumathipala told reporters. "It should not have happened. We are very disappointed." Sumathipala said Muralitharan had bullied groundsmen at the Pallekele Stadium Saturday into allowing the Australians to practice there when it was theoretically off limits to both teams. "He rode roughshod over the groundsmen and got his (Australian) players to practice in violation of the time stipulations," Sumathipala said. "He later confronted our team manager (Senanayake) and abused him." There was no immediate comment from the Australians. Stung by criticism on social media, Muralitharan recently posted a video on YouTube in which he defended his decision to help the Australians as a freelance bowling consultant. "I am doing a professional job," said the 44-year-old former spinner. "I am not a traitor. Sri Lanka has not tried to make use of my services, so I am helping the Australians who value my contributions." He also accused the Sri Lankan board, which recently rehired the South African Graham Ford as coach to the national side, of paying foreigners more than locals. "If they pay 100 rupees to a white coach, they will pay a Sri Lankan only 20 rupees," Muralitharan said. "They don't treat us well."
