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

[Spark]

It's difficult for me to make a call on it without actually talking to him about it or at least watching him bat more in the Shield than I have this season. If he reckons he's got his 'new' technique sorted and that he's ready for Tests again then I'm prepared to back that, but I don't want a repeat of what we did to him last time so it's a big if.

Asked Jesse Hogan today about it, apparently MCG he was leaving balls much better in the corridor. Which is good, because it'd suggest he'd located his offstump with his new technique.

[Spikey]

starc
siddle
lyon
haze

my attack for hobart #****mj #****hilf #nsw

[uvelocity]

hastings
mj
cutting
beer

[robelinda]

Reckon they might stick with Johnson, Starc, Lyon, and add Siddle.

[NUFAN]

I would probably pick

1. Ed Cowan
2. David Warner
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Shane Watson
5. Michael Clarke
6. Michael Hussey
7. Matthew Wade
8. Peter Siddle
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Ben Hilfenhaus

But I'm not confident that the selectors will want to move Watson again and I'm scared that they'll want Johnson to remain in the team. Reckon personally Starc will work well in combination with Sid and Hilf.

SL are going to be challenging - Hobart probably not the best venue for them, but they should do well in Melbourne and Sydney.

[benchmark00]

I would probably pick

1. Ed Cowan
2. David Warner
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Shane Watson
5. Michael Clarke
6. Michael Hussey
7. Matthew Wade
8. Peter Siddle
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Ben Hilfenhaus

But I'm not confident that the selectors will want to move Watson again and I'm scared that they'll want Johnson to remain in the team. Reckon personally Starc will work well in combination with Sid and Hilf.

SL are going to be challenging - Hobart probably not the best venue for them, but they should do well in Melbourne and Sydney.

I agree.

[morgieb]

I would probably pick

1. Ed Cowan
2. David Warner
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Shane Watson
5. Michael Clarke
6. Michael Hussey
7. Matthew Wade
8. Peter Siddle
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Ben Hilfenhaus

But I'm not confident that the selectors will want to move Watson again and I'm scared that they'll want Johnson to remain in the team. Reckon personally Starc will work well in combination with Sid and Hilf.

SL are going to be challenging - Hobart probably not the best venue for them, but they should do well in Melbourne and Sydney.

Really? I doubt they have bowling.

[hendrix]

I would probably pick

1. Ed Cowan
2. David Warner
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Shane Watson
5. Michael Clarke
6. Michael Hussey
7. Matthew Wade
8. Peter Siddle
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Ben Hilfenhaus

But I'm not confident that the selectors will want to move Watson again and I'm scared that they'll want Johnson to remain in the team. Reckon personally Starc will work well in combination with Sid and Hilf.

SL are going to be challenging - Hobart probably not the best venue for them, but they should do well in Melbourne and Sydney.

I'd take Johnson ahead of Starc based on the way they bowled in Perth.

I think SL will get smashed. I can't seem them bowling Aus out except in Sydney if Herath gets going. Hussey is going to have a field day.

[NUFAN]

Really? I doubt they have bowling.

The Australian team currently struggle to take 20 wickets and with Kumar and Mahela they've got a few experienced bats who as I said will be challenging. Quick bowling is SL's weakness, but our top order is brittle and seeing us play Peterson so poorly doesn't give me confidence against Herath. Having said we should still win the series.

[Dan]

The Australian team currently struggle to take 20 wickets and with Kumar and Mahela they've got a few experienced bats who as I said will be challenging. Quick bowling is SL's weakness, but our top order is brittle and seeing us play Peterson so poorly doesn't give me confidence against Herath. Having said we should still win the series.

Mahela is class but doesn't have a good track record over here. I suspect he will hurt us once or twice, but not dominate as much as he has done at home. Sangakkara has me scared, though. I reckon we'll be bowling SL out around him.

Even our top order should be able to handle the SL pacers - I reckon Warner could be in for an aggressive, big ton against them at some point, and Cowan should be able to do his job against SL better than against RSA. I hold out no hope for Watson or the Ponting replacement, TBH.

Clarke and Muss and Wade should be fine.

Jackson Bird should replace Johnson, IMO, and obviously bring back Siddle for Hastings. Hold on to Starc, I reckon he can do something against SL, even if he is expensive again.

[NUFAN]

If Mahela hurts us once or twice in a 3 test series, I think its fair to say SL will be a challenge.

I wouldn't mind Bird debuting at Hobart, kick in the guts for Hilf but not a bad idea at all to see what he has to offer. You'd feel bad for Hazlewood though if Bird suddenly got ahead of him too.

Any idea on what the squad will be announced? Are news on what Test players are playing/resting from BBL?

[uvelocity]

I cringe at the comments aimed at Clarke if he doesn't move up, whether its the right thing to do or not

[Justo]

The Australian team currently struggle to take 20 wickets and with Kumar and Mahela they've got a few experienced bats who as I said will be challenging. Quick bowling is SL's weakness, but our top order is brittle and seeing us play Peterson so poorly doesn't give me confidence against Herath. Having said we should still win the series.

The only reason we've struggled to take 20 wickets this series are due to situations out of our control. If a full day isn't washed out at the Gabba and Pattinson doesn't break down at Adelaide we most likely win both matches comfortably. The reality is that South Africa only truly dominated us in one innings this tour. This innings was also against our second(and probably actually third) string bowling attack which even still managed to collapse their batting lineup the innings before. When you consider the strength of their batting lineup(genuine batsmen all the way to 7 as well as having several of the best batsmen in the world) combined with the flatness of the pitches this series I'd say that we did alot better than expected.

The only real concern for the bowling IMO is Hilfenhaus's inneffectiveness. Otherwise though we've still got plenty of options(hopefully none of them being Hastings) provided the right players are selected.

[Spikey]

Watson set to take over from Ponting at No.4

[Migara]

If SL fast bowling not going to pose challenges we will get walloped. I have faith in Eranga to deliver some telling blows, especially if Aussies under estimate him