Australia favourites to win 1st Test and series in Sri Lanka

Australia are evens favourites to beat Sri Lanka at Galle in the first of of their three Tests, which starts on Monday. Sri Lanka are 10/3 and the draw is 8/5. In the series betting, Australia are also favourites at 4/6, a tied series is 3/1, and Sri Lanka are 11/4.

Looking back to England's tour in November, the opening match at Galle eventually produced a draw after a Houdini act by England. But Australia's batsmen will probably be more positive than England's were, and a positive result seems more likely. In that England game Muttiah Muralitharan took 11 wickets and Ashley Giles eight, which points towards another spin-dominated game here - and cricket followers around the world will be savouring the rivalry between Murali and the returning Shane Warne.

Australia go into their first Test in a long time without Steve Waugh. Whether the loss of Waugh will have an effect on the team's cohesion or positive approach remains to be seen. The bowling attack is also weakened, this time by injuries. Glenn McGrath remains on the sidelines, and Brett Lee damaged his ankle in the warm-up game against the Sri Lankan Board President's XI, so there could be a lot of pressure on Jason Gillespie and Brad Williams. But the return of Warne, alongside the incumbent Stuart MacGill, and supported by the part-time spin of possible debutants Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds, gives Ricky Ponting a number of slow-bowling options.