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.
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