***Official*** Sri Lanka in Australia 2012/2013

[wellAlbidarned]

Plenty of spinners with far worse records have been picked for Aus.

[chaminda_00]

Sri Lanka in Australia 2012-13 : Thirimanne and Lakmal added to Sri Lanka Test squad | Cricket News | Australia v Sri Lanka | ESPN Cricinfo

Thirimanne and Lakmal are the replacement for the last test. You would think neither would play as Pradeep and Paranavitana are next in line if Kulasekara and Prassana are injured.

Interesting that Perera is deemed not fit enough to play Test cricket as bowler.

You would hope we would have a better back up option then Lakmal, but he is in form with the ball. I guess the only other options were former U19 quick Ishan Jayaratne, Isuru Udana, Thilan Thushara or Tissara Perera. The later two are coming back from injuries and probably are fit enough for five day cricket. The first two are still raw. Personally I would have gone with Isuru Udana, at least he has shown some potential at International level and has been decent form. But the options are quite thin.

It is going to be a long decade of mediocrity at this rate...

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by chaminda_00

Sri Lanka in Australia 2012-13 : Thirimanne and Lakmal added to Sri Lanka Test squad | Cricket News | Australia v Sri Lanka | ESPN Cricinfo

Thirimanne and Lakmal are the replacement for the last test. You would think neither would play as Pradeep and Paranavitana are next in line if Kulasekara and Prassana are injured.

Interesting that Perera is deemed not fit enough to play Test cricket as bowler.

You would hope we would have a better back up option then Lakmal, but he is in form with the ball. I guess the only other options were former U19 quick Ishan Jayaratne, Isuru Udana, Thilan Thushara or Tissara Perera. The later two are coming back from injuries and probably are fit enough for five day cricket. The first two are still raw. Personally I would have gone with Isuru Udana, at least he has shown some potential at International level and has been decent form. But the options are quite thin.

It is going to be a long decade of mediocrity at this rate...

Just play Jeevan Mendis IMO.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

Just play Jeevan Mendis IMO.

If the pitches in Australia spun, reckon we would have five spinners tbh. Only chance of us winning a real Test series in the next decade.

Before anyone says Sydney will turn. You have to get past the first three days to get turn in Sydney. It usually the last session of 4th day where you start to get consistent turn in Sydney.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by chaminda_00

If the pitches in Australia spun, reckon we would have five spinners tbh. Only chance of us winning a real Test series in the next decade.

Before anyone says Sydney will turn. You have to get past the first three days to get turn in Sydney. It usually the last session of 4th day where you start to get consistent turn in Sydney.

I know he's thought of more as a batsman in Sri Lanka but I still think Jeevan Mendis would probably offer more to the attack in Australian conditions than someone like Lakmal, especially given you can use Mathews as a third seamer. Would help the otherwise depleted batting down the order too. Get him in there. Love the guy.

[Neil Pickup]

Most pitiful attempts at batting in Test Cricket

Sri Lanka hit 14th in the all-time list. Bangladesh now fall to 19th.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

I know he's thought of more as a batsman in Sri Lanka but I still think Jeevan Mendis would probably offer more to the attack in Australian conditions than someone like Lakmal, especially given you can use Mathews as a third seamer. Would help the otherwise depleted batting down the order too. Get him in there. Love the guy.

He was at the start of his career when he batted at 3 regularly. But since he first got dropped from the Sri Lanka A, five years ago. He has been seen more as bowling all rounder. He hasn't batted in the top 4 for a while in Sri Lanka domestic cricket.

The structure of most domestic sides in Sri Lanka is that the top 4 are the guys pushing for national selection. Then the rest are bowling all rounders, keepers and bowlers. Apart from the likes of Chamara Silva, Angelo Perera, Sachithra Serasinghe, Kandamby and Kapugedera who don't like batting in the top order.

[andyc]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

Most pitiful attempts at batting in Test Cricket

Sri Lanka hit 14th in the all-time list. Bangladesh now fall to 19th.

2nd in the last 60 years. Ouch.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

Most pitiful attempts at batting in Test Cricket

Sri Lanka hit 14th in the all-time list. Bangladesh now fall to 19th.

Interesting there's only two in the top 20 from WW2 to the turn of the new century, but since then there has been five to make the list.

[NUFAN]

South Africa in the Cronje first innings forfeit game stands out in the list, doesn't deserve to really be there at all.

Also, I had forgotten over time just how bad Australia were in the 3rd Test of the famous 1995 tour of the Caribbean. Massive turnaround in the fourth and final match, thanks to the Waugh twins.

[aussie tragic]

Khawaja just made 66* in BB....has he been released from the Test squad?

[Migara]

Some hard luck for the lankans with injuries. Of course the karma bitch has come back biting Sanga. He was terrorizing Sri Lankan women about osteoporosis for Anlene, and this is the second time in one year that official mascot of Anlene has suffered a fracture. Ouch! that bitch bites very painfully.

[Tangles]

So Maxwell is still in even though he seems to be a pre India experiment.

[JBMAC]

Originally Posted by wellAlbidarned

Plenty of spinners with far worse records have been picked for Aus.

"Peter.... Who?"

[aussie tragic]

I'm guessing this will be the 11 at the SCG

1. Warner
2. Cowan
3. Hughes
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. Wade
7. Maxwell
8. Johnson
9. Starc
10. Siddle
11. Lyon

I actually don't mind it as long as Khawaja gets Hussey's spot in India. There's good batting depth with Siddle at 10, however would prefer if Bird was in there (Selectors are in a corner here as "rested" Starc must return, Johnson was MoM and Siddle's the leading bowler this year)