Galle, Jan. 28 -- Australia stand-in captain Steven Smith advised his teammates, who hold minimal experience in the sub-continent to be "proactive" against Sri Lankan spinners in Galle.

The challenge of playing in the subcontinent often revolves around whether the ball will spin or stay straight when it reaches the batter. In the two Tests scheduled to begin on Wednesday in Sri Lanka, Smith, among all the batters, is particularly aware of the complexities that lie ahead.

"We have spoken about the differences in the surfaces. Last time we came, we played on one that spun from ball one, and the other one was pretty flat in the first innings, and then spun a lot in the second innings," ESPNcricinfo quoted Smith, who made the comments while...