Mitchell Swepson of Australia will take part in the first Test against Sri Lanka, as touring skipper Pat Cummins described the leg-spinner as an "important cog" of their bowling.

In the first match of the two-match series in Galle on Wednesday, 28-year-old Swepson will team up with top spinner Nathan Lyon where the pitch is anticipated to be a turner.

With uncertainty around batsman Travis Head, who suffered a hamstring injury during the team's defeat in the one-day internationals, Cummins refrained from revealing the entire Australian XI.

"Just want to see how Travis gets through, so we give him bit more time. But yes, Mitchell Swepson will be the second spinner in the Test match," Cummins told reporters.

Earlier this year, Swepson earned his international debut in Pakistan and contributed to the his team's 1-0 Test victory. In two games, he picked up two wickets.

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The young wrist spinner is prepared for the Sri Lankan challenge, according to Cummins, as Australia looks to exact revenge for their 3-0 setback to the hosts in 2016.

Cummins said: "We're really happy with Swepo. I think he is bowling beautifully and really ready for this one. I think his role here might be slightly different as well. Pakistan we knew was going to be a slow grind and I thought he did his job despite not taking the wickets he would like. He was a really important cog in that bowling engine."

Cummins acknowledged that Sri Lanka is a difficult team to defeat at home.

"I think Sri Lanka play really well over here, it's quite different from what we experience in Australia. They are going to pose a challenge but we are up for it," said Cummins.

Five years have passed since the all-rounder Glenn Maxwell last competed in a five-day match, which was in 2017. He may now rejoin the Test team.

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Cummins also praised the Sri Lankan people for their bravery during the island nation's economic turmoil.

"I was on a call yesterday and was chatting to some young girl cricketers. They're down to one meal a day and are going to school a couple of days a week because the teachers can't get to school," said Cummins.

"No matter what the result is we are in a really privileged position and there are lots of people that are making this happen for us to have a bit of fun and go out and play cricket. So we are really lucky," he signed off.

(AFP inputs)