Great to win first ODI - Clarke

Ravi LADDUWAHETTY

Australian ODI and Test captain Michael Clarke, addressing the post match news conference on Wednesday night at Pallekelle, said that the win over Sri Lanka in the ODI opener was a great one.

We are very happy with the way that we won this first game. We showed that we are a very good side and that we could adjust well to any type of ground conditions. We are off to a fantastic start and we are going to have a good one, he said. The wicket was flat and very good to bat with the new ball. At one time, I thought Michelle (Johnson) was not going to bowl but I an glad that we used him. And he could angle the ball to the right handers. He executed his skills very well and the boys held the catches very well, he said.

Asked how it was coming to Sri Lanka and playing/ captaining the first ODI, he said that the challenge was enjoyable and he said that the first ODI were a several landmarks with Michelle Johnson playing in his 100th ODI taking his career best 6/31 and also with Bret Lee procuring his 350th ODI wicket, It was a great day for Aussie cricket, he said.

Asked how and the Aussies were going to face mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, Clarke said that Sri Lankan bowlers had a lot of variety in their deliveries in these conditions and that it was up to the Aussies to handle them be it the T 20s, the ODIs and the Tests. Mendis has an up spin for him in these conditions. So, we have to continue to practice and continue to look at a lot of video footage as we go on, he said.