All depends on how the Bellerive wicket will play:

Lankans will go hard looking for that elusive Test win

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from Australia

Both Sri Lanka and Australia who were done in by New Zealand and South Africa in the previous Tests they played, will come hard at each other in a no holds barred contest when the First of Three Tests begins at the Bellerive Oval on Friday.

The teams were hard at practice, ironing out their shortcomings and a decision on who the final playing elevens will be has still not been sorted out. It will all depend on how the wicket will look underneath the covers and the conditions just before toss time comes around.

Sri Lanka has played Australia in 10 Test matches, losing eight with two ending in no decisions. So when the Lankans take the field, here in Hobart, Melbourne or Sydney, they will be praying to the cricketing gods to help them win that Test match that has eluded them for so long.

On show will also be the two best cricketing brains in captaincy Mahela Jayewardene and Michael Clarke.

Both are cunning, shrewd and clever captains aggressive and always wanting to play the game in the best of spirits and to win. It should be no different this time round.

Three vital cogs

For skipper Mahela Jayewardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekeratne Dilshan the three vital cogs in the Sri Lankan mean machine, this tour will probably be their final Test swan songs. So they will be gritting their teeth waiting to pounce on the Aussies and devour them.

The Sri Lankans must not be be overawed by the occasion, nor allow the uncertain nature of the Bellerive Oval wicket to unsettle their strategy. The wicket has come in for a lot of criticism and the Lankans will be hoping for a wicket that will allow both teams a fair go.

The curator at the ground is duty bound to prepare a wicket that will behave the same for both teams. There is an unwritten law that home curators prepare wickets to suit their players. We hope that won’t be the case, because to do that would be sacrileges.

Batsmen come good

Sri Lanka’s batsmen came good in the practice game at the Manuka Oval in Canberra with Tillekeratne Dilshan, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayewardene and Prasanna Jayewardene making runs, which should do their confidence a world of good.

Vice Captain Angelo Mathews and Thilan Samaraweera who were rested in that game will make the playing eleven, and it will be seen that the top seven are strong in batting. Other than for Karunaratne the others have enough and more experience to deliver.

Openers Dilshan and Karunaratne will surely be tested by the menacing pace and seam of Mitchell Johnson, Michelle Starc, Peter Siddle and probably Ben Hilfenhaus. Dilshan and Karunaratne must be watchful and see through the opening overs, before searching for runs.

Solid start vital

A solid start from them is vital for the rest of the batsmen to build a formidable total and from which point the Lankan bowlers can take charge and dictate terms to the run-hungry Australian batsmen led by the prolific scorer Michael Clarke who had back to back double hundreds against South Africa.

For left hander Dimuth Karunaratne it will certainly be a baptism of fire. But the youngster showed good technique and temperament against the Kiwis and like all batsmen could be a bit nervy early on. But with Dilshan there to guard and guide him, he should have a memorable big knock in Aussieland.

While the Sri Lankan batting picks itself, it is the bowling department that will be of worry. The bowlers did not impress in Canberra. But with the Bellerive wicket likely to have a fair amount of grass on it, the Lankans could go in with four seamers in Nuwan Kulesekera, Chanaka Welagedara, Shamindra Eranga and Angelo Mathews with Herath to provide the tweaks.

Aussies thirsting

As for the Australians, now that they got beat by the South Africans would be thirsting for the series against Sri Lanka to quench their winless run and put their game on course again. At home and playing in conditions that favour them, they should dominate. Two batsmen the Lankans would love to have out early are opener David Warner and Michael Clarke. If allowed to settle down could be devastating as they showed against the South Africans in the recent series.

So the scene is set for a no quarter asked or given game and may not the Bellerive Oval wicket that has come under heavy fire, raise its ugly head again and spoil it by contributing to an early finish which will be bad for the teams, the game and for the hosts, the Tasmanian Cricket Association. Bellerive Oval, Hobart, Thursday.