Rains expected in the morning:

Aussies strong, Lankans confident

Hughes will be remembered :

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from Newzealand

Every single ticket has been snapped and up and a packed Sydney Cricket Ground will soak in the action between Sri Lanka and Australia in a Pool ‘A’ game under lights in the 2015 World Cup, here today beginning at 9 a.m. Sri Lanka time.

The venue will also carry a bit of emotion. It was the venue where Australian left hand opening batsman Phil Hughes was struck on the back of his head by a short ball from Sean Abbott and later succumbed to his injuries.

The SCG is also remembered for the batting heroics of that Australian legend Sir Donald Bradman the greatest batsman the world of cricket has seen and will ever see. Runs flowed from Sir Don’s bat like the Mahaweli in spate and his records are too numerous to mention.

To the Sri Lanka-Australia game and where both teams are confident that they have the cricketing warriors, arms and ammunition to outgun each other. But it must be remembered that a match is not won or lost till the final ball is bowled.

Both teams, Sri Lanka and Australia have lost a game each to New Zealand and this game will see a no quarter asked or given game as both teams lock horns to pocket a victory and move on.

The weather here is to the likings of the Sri Lankans. It is warm with a strong sun shining. The Lankans love to have the sun shining on their backs and will have the sun in the first half of the game. Rain is predicted in the morning.

Score of over 300 a must

The SCG wicket looks like being fair to both, batsmen and bowlers. To make the match a contest the side bating first must make a score of over 300. Anything below that may not mean losing, but it can make winning that much more difficult.

Both teams were seen hard at training. Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara play their last game at this hallowed venue. They will like to go out in a blaze of glory, by not only making scores to be remembered by, but also play stellar rolls in a memorable Sri Lankan victory.

The star attractions in this game will be ‘Mr. Exquisite’ Kumar Sangakara and ‘tormentor’ David Warner and in bowling Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Lasith Malinga. There will be three Mitchell’s playing for Australia - Johnson, Starc and Marsh.

‘Mr. Exquisite’ Sangakkara a genius

While Sangakkara is a genius and a thinker with the willow, playing exquisitely, with fine timing and spraying strokes all over the park and is a sight to behold when he plays the drive, Warner is a crusher of bowlers with his belligerent power hitting that can demoralize any bowler. Warner in addition is a master sledger. Both will take strike after centuries in the two previous games.

Of the Australian bowlers Johnson and Starc will be difficult to negotiate. They bowl with tremendous pace and swing. Johnson can get the ball to climb viciously from a good length and Starc has a lethal yorker. Together they form a terrifying duo.

The only Sri Lankan bowler who could match up to them is slinger Lasith Malinga. But sadly Mainga is not slinging at his best just yet.

Lasith Malinga’s ankle surgery

After his ankle surgery he is not landing his left foot hard while delivering to gain momentum and is struggling to direct his toe crushing Yorkers. Pity his inability to get the early wickets.

As for Sri Lanka sadly they are not a settled side, because of the injuries firstly to Dhammika Prasad, then to Jeevan Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne and Rangana Herath. Prasad, Mendis and Karunaratne have all gone back and Dhusmantha Chameera, Upul Tharanga, Seekkuge Prasanna and Kushal Janith Perera have been flown in.

It is sad that the promising pace man Chameera has still bowled a ball. He could trouble the Aussie batsmen with his pace and bounce. With Herath out a sensible selection will be offie Sachitra Senanayake or Seekkuge Prasanna.

But selectors are known to work in mysterious ways and it won’t be different this time round.

Rain expected in the morning

With a bit of rain expected in the morning, the Sri Lankan selectors will as usual delay naming the playing eleven until they have a look see at the conditions and the wicket.

When they bat, it essential that openers Tillekeratne Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne lay a solid foundation for batsmen following Sangakkara, Jayawardena, Chandimal, Mathews and Thisara Perera to build on.

But it is the bowling and fielding that is a sorry sight at this level.

The bowling has been too short and not well directed wicket to wicket and the least said about the fielding the better.

Strong and well balanced

As for Australia they are strong and well balanced in all departments. In Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner and Glen Maxwell they have batters who could hit the covers off the white balls.

In the bowling from pace to spin they are well served. For pace they have Johnson, Starc and Faulkner and probably Jos Hazlewood and spin from Glen Maxwell and Smith. They are agile fielders and will put to a far second best the Lankans in this all important aspect.

The Sri Lankan supporters will as usual be there with their papare, papare bands making all the noises possible and shouting and singing themselves hoarse baying for a Sri Lankan victory. But they would not be disappointed if the Sri Lankans cricketers prove worthy competitors and lose.

Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia, Saturday.