Aussies chase morale-boosting win
Skipper Ricky Ponting said it was time to end Australia's losing
streak when the home side takes on Sri Lanka in the first of three
one-day internationals in Melbourne on Wednesday.
The Australians are in a form slump ahead of the opening Brisbane
Ashes Test against England on November 25, having lost their last five
international games.
Sri Lanka thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the latest Twenty20
match in Perth on Sunday, which was Australia's first home defeat in 11
T20 matches.
The time for talking was over for the Australians, Ponting said on
Tuesday.
"There's no sugar-coating anything, we know we have some work to do,
and we haven't played one-day cricket for a little while," he said.
"There's no doubt it's always a different feel around the changerooms
when you are winning games of cricket and we have to start that off
pretty soon, hopefully that's tomorrow."
But the Australians will have to negotiate a much-needed win against
Sri Lanka without Ponting.
He said he will miss the first one-day international to attend a
family funeral in his home town of Launceston in Tasmania on the day of
the match.
Michael Clarke will lead the Australian team in Ponting's absence in
Wednesday's ODI. "I will be flying out tomorrow morning to attend the
funeral and then flying straight back to the ground tomorrow afternoon,"
Ponting told reporters.
"I wanted to be here yesterday and today to maximise my time around
the team and get my preparation right for the coming games." Ponting
said inclement weather meant Australia would wait until the morning of
the match to finalise their lineup for the day-nighter. Tasmanian
spinner Xavier Doherty is expected to make his one-day international
debut.
Ponting also backed struggling senior batsman Mike Hussey to regain
form for the Ashes and backed him to stay in the one-day side.
Hussey is high on a series of problems for Australia ahead of the
first Ashes Test after making a golden duck and three in Western
Australia's Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval over the weekend.
"Unfortunately for him he's missed out twice, but I've had a good
chat to him today, he's very clear in his own mind about what he needs
to do and he feels he's on the right track," Ponting said.
"His preparation has been good for every game that he's played -
class players like him generally find a way to get it done - and I'm
sure that over the next few one-day games against Sri Lanka, you'll see
him score some runs."
Squads (12th men to be named):
Australia - Michael Clarke (captain), Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin,
John Hastings, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Clint
McKay, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Shane Watson, Cameron
White.
Sri Lanka - Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Dilhara
Fernando, Chamara Kapugedera, Lasith Malinga, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara
Perera, Chamara Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Suraj
Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Angelo Mathews, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dammika
Prasad, Upul Tharanga.
MELBOURNE, AFP
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