Sri Lanka capable of making a huge impact on Australian tour, says Bayliss

Chris DHAMBARAGE

Sri Lanka’s coach Trevor Bayliss said that his team is capable of staging a strong comeback and making a huge impact in the forthcoming tour to Australia starting next week.

The Sri Lanka team led by Mahela Jayawardena will leave for Australia on Tuesday and will play two Test matches in Brisbane and Hobart in addition to two warm-up fixtures.

The Sri Lankans of course suffered a shock 2-3 defeat at the hands of England during their five match home one-day series concluded recently. But coach Trevor Bayliss believes that his team has the talent and the potential to turn tables on Australia during the two Test matches.

Sri Lanka has never beaten Australia from their previous eight outings down under and their solitary victory was recorded at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy in September 1999 where they triumphed by six wickets.

Sri Lanka’s previous tour to Australia was in July 2004 and on that occasion they lost the first Test by 149 runs at Darwin but did well to draw the second Test played at Cairns.

Bayliss noted that looking at the Sri Lanka team’s past records suggests they have been very successful at different times and there is no reason why they should perform well in the future.

He said that not too many foreign teams have performed well in Australia who are the number one side in both versions of the game.

Bayliss said that the bowling attack will be the key to his team’s success during the two Test matches.

We have a good bowling attack and if we could put the runs on the board then we have the bowlers to pick up wickets.

The wickets of course will favour the pace bowlers but they will be good batting tracks on day two and three. There will be little bit of turn and bounce for the spinners in Brisbane but the wicket will be bit slower in Hobart.

This tour is no doubt a significant one for Trevor Bayliss who will be taking up his first overseas assignment as Sri Lanka coach and will also be up against his home country.

“I feel really strange to be seated on the other side of the bench hoping that Australia would loose some matches. But considering the fact that this is professional coaching it is the way things happen.”

Bayliss also predicted ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan to play a significant role during this tour as the off spinner is just nine wickets away from becoming the highest wicket taker in Test cricket.

“I hope Muralitharan will break Shane Warne’s wicket taking record in Australia because if he claims eight or nine wickets in these two test matches then the Sri Lanka team too will be in a pretty good position.”

Bayliss said that the main reason for their setback during the England series was the failure of their top order batsmen.

“We did not bat really well. We are hoping to improve that in the games coming up.

The shot selection of the top order batsmen were not the greatest. We did not play any smart cricket,” he added.