Rather than book in a tour match in Sri Lanka, Australia flew to the subcontinent via Dubai for a five-day camp at the ICC Academy late last month.
There, Australia could order training wickets that were similar to the turning decks expected for the two-match series in Galle.
"The ground staff there did an amazing job in what we would potentially get here across a game," said coach Andrew McDonald.
Australia's Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc celebrate another Sri Lankan wicket. (AP PHOTO)
The team also spent time bonding with newer squad members Sam Konstas, Cooper Connolly and Beau Webster, enjoying rounds of golf, and could use the kind of professional gym facilities that are difficult to source in Sri Lanka.
"We had some time and space to get our heads around the challenges, different scenarios and the ICC facilities allowed us to do that," McDonald said.
The weather was less sticky than what the tourists would go on to encounter in tropical Sri Lanka, but they nonetheless put in plenty of hard yakka on the training pitch.
One field session lasted six hours.
"It was a hectic time," McDonald said.
"It was to do the grunt work, get the conversations landed around how we wanted to play, making sure we had great clarity when we landed here, and I think that showed in the performance."
Australia went on trounce Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in the first of two Tests, as they made the best of the kind of dusty, turning conditions that have troubled touring teams in the past.
From the moment reinstated opener Travis Head hit Asitha Fernando for three fours in the first over of the match, Australia were in control.
Incredible performance from a bloke who nearly missed the tour with a broken thumb a week ago! — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) #SLvAUSFollow the match live: https://t.co/gIGNY6j3r9 pic.twitter.com/WjDbruQlGIFebruary 1, 2025
But stand-in captain Steve Smith felt the squad had been locked in since before then.
"The guys trained exceptionally well in Dubai in the lead-up, we were able to develop some wickets that we wanted to work on some things," he said.
"Then when we came here, similarly, guys did the same and really focused in two days out from the game and got their game plans completely in order and brought it all together."
Todd Murphy (second left) after claiming the wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne. (AP PHOTO)
Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya took his team to England ahead of last year's Test tour to spend time acclimatising to greener decks.
He admitted Australia were wise to have taken similar step for their own unfamiliar conditions.
"It's always good when you go on a tour like this," he said.
"That advantage, yes of course, it works. That's a good thing. Any team would do it."
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