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Every new coach receives a “breaking in period”, according to rookie Sri Lanka mentor Trevor Bayliss.
Still, nothing quite prepared the former NSW coach for what happened after he took up Sri Lanka’s reins.
Bayliss admitted he got a crash course on Sri Lankan cricket politics thanks to the “selection” of veteran opener Marvan Atapattu for their Australian tour.
It took the intervention of Sri Lankan sports minister Gamini Lokuge to get Atapattu on the plane to Australia.
Bayliss today admitted he was “surprised” by Atapattu’s inclusion.
But he was sure grateful as a vulnerable Sri Lanka prepared for their first Test against Australia starting at the Gabba on Thursday.
“From my point of view it was a bit of a surprise to see him back in the team,” Bayliss said in Brisbane.
“It was not necessarily anything against him, but I suppose the process which allowed him to be back in the team.
“It was a bit different to what I am used to.
“(But) I’ve got to get used to a lot of things that are done differently over there.
“I think with any change (in coach) there is a breaking-in period, we’ve certainly been through that.”
However, Bayliss is counting his blessings that Atapattu is back on board after vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara (hamstring) was ruled out of the first Test and only “hopeful” of chiming into the second at Hobart.
Atapattu may have played the last of his 88 Tests almost two years ago but he has emerged as Bayliss’ white knight following Sri Lanka’s wonky tour start with the bat.
Atapattu hit 56 and 15 against the Chairman’s XI in Adelaide and a determined 48 in difficult conditions recently against Queensland.
Not bad considering Atapattu was thinking about joining the rebel Twenty20 competition in India only last month.
“Batting is the challenge for us,” Bayliss said.
“He (Atapattu) has looked pretty good in our two games.
“In the game against Queensland on a difficult wicket he looked untroubled and at ease at the wicket.
“Hopefully he can bring that into the Test match and get us off to a good start.”
But Bayliss tried not to read too much into his side’s overall batting form – or lack thereof – in their major pre-Test hit-out, a four wicket loss to Queensland.
“Even though most of the top order didn’t score any runs, neither did Queensland’s top order,” he said.
“The wicket was doing a lot sideways and (was) a bit two-paced. The Adelaide wicket was the same.
“The Gabba wicket will be easier to play on. They look forward to playing on it.
“Our challenge is getting into the right frame of mind, concentrate on what we do well.”
That frame of mind hasn’t been affected by Atapattu’s enforced selection.
“It certainly didn’t have an impact on the players themselves. They know him well, know he’s a quality player,” Bayliss said.
“The players are used to that type of system and used to getting on with it – it hasn’t bothered them too much at all.”
Sri Lanka’s first Test team will be finalised on Wednesday morning.
But Bayliss hinted that he planned to play four pacemen – Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga, Chaminda Vaas and Farveez Maharoof – and spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan on a typical bouncy Gabba wicket.
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