Lankans can win, if they dare

Wicket better than the one in Hobart:

Record crowd expected at picturesque MCG:

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from Australia

The Sri Lankan cricketers are all pumped up and can’t wait for the Boxing Day Test match to begin to go hard at the much hyped and high riding Australians and bring them down to earth with a thud.

Unlike the Bellerive Oval wicket in Hobart, which was a nightmare to bat on the final day, the MCG wicket promises to be fair to both teams and cricket with no quarter asked or given will be on show in the second of three Tests beginning at the MCG today.

The Sri Lankans must take the field with that second to none feeling. They must not be overawed by the occasion.

Victory will come only if the Lankans take the risks, remembering that victory comes only to those who dare.

Wicket looks good

While the wicket looks a good one, the ground is looking picturesque as it always does and a massive crowd, numbering over 70,000 is expected to flood the ground, with the Sri Lankans outnumbering the Australians.

Incidentally, the biggest crowd that the MCG saw was when Frank Worrell’s glamour boys of cricket faced the Australians led by Richie Benaud in the 1960/’61 series that brought cricket alive. Believe it or not the crowd was 90,000.

The destiny of this Test match will be controlled by the team winning the toss and batting first. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene who lost the toss in Hobart, will be praying to the cricketing gods to help him win the toss this time round.

More grass on wicket

The wicket is going to have more grass on it than the Bellerive Oval wicket which could prompt the Sri Lankan selectors to rethink their pace bowling department in which case there could be a change with Nuwan Pradeep and Dhammika Prasad coming into the picture.

First time at MCG

But the selectors will not commit until they have a look at the conditions and the wicket. As for the batting the line-up it will remain the same and a better and stronger effort is required.

If the toss looks benignly on the Sri Lankans and if they take first strike, every batter must make it his business to come good, thereby making a formidable first innings total and putting pressure on the Australians luring them to crumble.

As for the Lankan playing eleven, it will be the first time that they will be making an appearance in a Test match at the MCG and it should galvanize them into beating the Australians and registering a memorable first ever Test triumph in Australian soil.

This will probably be the last time that the three senior members of the team – and all of them being batsmen – Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekeratne Dilshan will be playing a Test at the MCG and Australia and a big knock will be on their agenda.

While the Sri Lankan batting can hold its own, it is the bowling department that lacks sting. It was Shamindra Eranga with a wippy action who troubled the opposing batsmen most. Although Chanaka Welegedera and Nuwan Kulesekera bowled economically, they could not trouble the batsmen.

Rangana Herath again

Once again left arm spinner Rangana Herath will be the one the Lankans will look to, to unsettle the Aussie batsmen.

Every time he has been called on to bowl he has delivered. He will do his best this time too.

It is essential that openers Tillekeratne Dilshan and Dimuth Karunaratne set the platform with a sound start for the batsmen following to build on and give the bowlers a score to bowl at.

As for the Aussies they are struggling to get their leader Michael Clarke fit for battle. At the time of writing he looks a wounded soldier, hobbling around with a hamstring strain that he picked up at the Hobart Test.

Clarke too good

Head of selectors former Aussie cricketer John Inverarity has made it known that Clarke is too good a cricketer to risk and Clarke will be put through a vigorous fitness test before the game and unless given the all clear by physio Alex Kountouri will not play.

From the Australian camp what is inexplicable is the dropping of Hobart Test match winner left arm pace bowler Mitchell Starc. When the other Aussie bowlers were huffing and puffing to bowl out the Lankans in the second innings it was Starc who shone brightly and delivered. The Aussies could rue their decision to keep him out.

Another right arm pace bowler who has met with success on the MCG wicket Jackson Bird will be given his baggy green cap and make his debut. But the Lankans have the batsmen to stall Bird from flying high by clipping his wings. Melbourne Cricket Ground, Tuesday.