**Official** Australia in Sri Lanka

[Richard]

I cannot wait, I cannot wait, I cannot wait until Muttiah Muralitharan bamboozles the Aussie batsmen left, right and centre.

I for one, hope Murali takes 8 wickets every innings, and takes an absolute bucketload of wickets against Australia.

In my eyes, Australian batsman have been always very, very weak against top quality spin on TURNING sub-contentinental wickets.

Sri Lanka should be unbeatable in their backyard, with Jaysuriya's explosive batting, Atapattu's solid defense and Muttiah Muralitharan's lethal, lethal spinners.

I hope Australia gets their medicine, because guys like Brad Williams, Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee will be utterly, utterly useless in Sri Lanka.

Despite the fact that I love Murali taking wickets against the Aussies (because so many of them can't take it, and have to resort to illicit allegations) I would still prefer to see Chaminda get 8 wickets in every innings.
Wouldn't mind Zoysa getting an 8-for, either. Do wonders for his confidence.

 

[age_master]

Vaas isn't a bad bowler, but hes hardly superb, if he were to be Australian he would be on par about with Brad Williams for mine.


his test average is a tic over 30, his SR is nearly 70, i simply dont think hes got enough to rip through the Aussie Battng lineup, he could go out and prove me wrong, i dont care i have nothing against him but i really dont think that he does enough to take alot of wickets against a top class batting line up.

 

[age_master]

interestingly Hogg has been retained for the ODI leg of the tour to Sri Lanka. Bevan has also come up fit


STATE AGE MATCHES
Ricky Ponting (captain) TAS 29 193
Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain) WA 32 184
Michael Bevan NSW 33 227
Michael Clarke NSW 22 19
Jason Gillespie SA 28 64
Brad Haddin NSW 26 3
Ian Harvey VIC 31 67
Matthew Hayden QLD 32 88
Brad Hogg WA 33 41
Michael Kasprowicz QLD 31 18
Simon Katich NSW 28 4
Brett Lee NSW 27 80
Damien Martyn WA 32 143
Andrew Symonds QLD 28 88
Brad Williams WA 29 22

 

[Salamuddin]

I wouldn't assume Sri Lanka will have it easily.

Australia are not the world champions for nothing.
Sri Lanka will have to play very well to win the series.

 

[Craig]

Big omission is McGrath.

 

[age_master]

Big omission is McGrath.

he was never gonna make it back for the ODI's he wouldn't have even played a 2nd XI game this entire season...

Warne wasn't considered either - he starts play9ing again tomorrow for for the Vics 2nd XI

 

[Mister Wright]

I cant really remember Vass ever doing that well against us.

Nothing special anyway.

Vass & Zoysa combined to reduce Australia to 4-16 in the first test when we elected to bat, Vass then took 3--15 off 15 in the second innings.

Didn't get much of a bowl after that due to rain and 'Murali' bowling from one end for the rest of the series, but still took 4-54 in the third test.

He took 10 wickets @ 14.30 & a strike rate of 38.2 - that's pretty special if you ask me...

 

[Dingo]

interestingly Hogg has been retained for the ODI leg of the tour to Sri Lanka.

And who would you have picked as the spinner instead? It begs the question of whether we even need a spinner in our ODI team, or whether Ponting would even bowl one if he had one...

 

[Gaijin-san]

And who would you have picked as the spinner instead? It begs the question of whether we even need a spinner in our ODI team, or whether Ponting would even bowl one if he had one...

Well, one person who they could use in the ODIs is Clarke. That doesn't come from my bias, but more from having seen what he was able to do in India. Bowling with assistance in the sub-continent he did quite well for himself. Perhaps Symonds would come good with his offies too.

 

[age_master]

And who would you have picked as the spinner instead? It begs the question of whether we even need a spinner in our ODI team, or whether Ponting would even bowl one if he had one...

Symonds, Clarke, Katich and Lehmann can all bowl abit - 4 pace bowlers are likley to play in each game anyway (well each game that counts - though they might risk it, who knows Jayasuria would be likley to tear him to shreads)

 

[Mister Wright]

Symonds, Clarke, Katich and Lehmann can all bowl abit - 4 pace bowlers are likley to play in each game anyway (well each game that counts - though they might risk it, who knows Jayasuria would be likley to tear him to shreads)

Bit hard for Lehmann to be a spin option when he isn't even in the touring squad.

 

[Mister Wright]

Symonds in contention for Test team

 

[bugssy]

i think it will be a good tour however i feel the ozzies have had there wake up call with the indian tour, but the decks have been alot more batter friendly due to lack of rain but i think the ozzies should and will have a very successful tour in both odi and tests.

too much pressure on vass and muralithuran but the ozzie batting line up will dominate, and with b lee getting back to his best he will be the series leading wicket taker by far..



go the aussies

 

[Tom Halsey]

I heard Bevan had been selected. I'm asuming this is just for one-dayers?

I would certainly be shocked if it were a test recall.

 

[garage flower]

too much pressure on vass and muralithuran but the ozzie batting line up will dominate

Be interesting to see how aggressive the Aussie batsmen are against Murali and, if they attack him successfully, how quickly Tillekaratne goes on to the defensive.

One of four very interesting test series all happening pretty much simultaneously. I think Sri Lanka might just shade it, but will need to be more positive than they were against England

 

[marc71178]

Vaas isn't a bad bowler, but hes hardly superb, if he were to be Australian he would be on par about with Brad Williams for mine.

Depends on what day you catch him - he can be superb or terrible...

 

[Richard]

Vaas ... on par about with Brad Williams for mine.

:!( :!( :!(
Don't talk rubbish (?:rolleyes: )

 

[Richard]

Be interesting to see how aggressive the Aussie batsmen are against Murali and, if they attack him successfully

Very, very rarely has anyone ever done that.
Most of the time, if you attack Murali, you pay for it. Especially in Sri Lanka.
I hope they're aggressive and they are made to look complete fools, just like many of them were in the Second and Third India Tests by Harbhajan.

 

[Richard]

but the decks have been alot more batter friendly due to lack of rain

Total codswallop.
Just because the opposition batting has been competant for a change, the excuse that batting conditions were good is not valid.
If anything, they were worse for batting this year than recently (seam throughout the game in Brisbane, uneven bounce for much of the MCG game, though the SCG wicket didn't fall to pieces like normal).

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Very, very rarely has anyone ever done that.
Most of the time, if you attack Murali, you pay for it. Especially in Sri Lanka.

I can think of a guy who's done it pretty well.