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Wednesday, 23 January 2013

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Aussies hungry for victory to square series:

Lankans out to give Mahela a memorable farewell

Nail biting final game on the cards in Hobart:

The Sri Lankan cricketers who were robbed of victory in Sydney, will take the field determined to avenge that setback and outplay the Australians in the best of five one day Commonwealth Bank series final game here in Hobart, today.

Had the rain not been a spoiler in Sydney and had the game been allowed to continue and the normal Duckworth-Lewis system applied, the Lankans would easily have wrapped up the one day series. As skipper Mahela Jayawardene said, he was confused with the decision not to continue with game and been told two different things in different series and his call for clarification over the abandonment was backed by the Australians.

Unfortunate incident

The Lankan cricketers will not allow that unfortunate incident to disturb their focus and commitment as they take the field in their bid to push aside the Aussies and gain some consolation after being white washed in the Three Test series.

Lasith Malinga

After the debacle in the first game in Melbourne, the Lankans haverallied strongly to win the games in Adelaide and Brisbane and are now playing the better all round cricket.

And if they keep playing that way, there is no reason why they should not put the Aussies to second best. What they got to do is to believe in themselves and play their normal game.

Memorable farewell

Led from the front by Jayawardene, and who has this game and two Twenty20 games to go before relinquishing his captaincy, his team mates are determined to win this game and the series and give him a memorable farewell. And he deserves it.

The wicket for this crucial game looks a good one. But like the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is its eating and similarly, how exactly it will play, in favour of the batsmen or bowlers could be gauged only once the game is in progress.

The Lankans will want to chase. That is how they won their two gamesand were poised to win the third. But it will all depend on how the coin will flip. Whatever the Lankans are the better all round side and capable on whatever wicket or conditions.

Keeping options open

As for team selection the Lankans are keeping options open. It is likely that they will go in with the Sydney combination. If they perform the basics and not get overawed by the occasion should dominate. If they bat first, batsmen Jayawardene, Dilshan, Thirimanne, Chandimal, Mathews, Kushal Perera and Thisara Perera must give their bowlers a total to bowl at.

Unfortunately the big hitters Mathews and Perera have not been able to get their acts going. Both can maul any attack. Mathews must be wondering what he has done wrong to receive unplayable deliveries. Like the one he got in Brisbane.

Bowling intelligently

As for the bowlers they have all bowled intelligently and cleverly. Nuwan Kulasekera has been simply amazing. While the Aussie batsmen are struggling to counter his high class swing bowling, Lasith Malinga has instilled fear into all the Aussie batsmen with his missiles. The Lankan fielding too has been top class. They attacked the ball instead of waiting for it, cutting down twos into singles and sliding to save the boundaries. Some blinding catches have been taken. The Lankans are believing in the adage that – catches win matches.

In the previous two games, when the Aussies were struggling, it has been tailenders Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty who have been thorns in the Lankan flesh by giving their team vital runs for the last wicket. The Lankans must have a plan to lure them early.

Starc menacing

The menacing left arm pace bowler has the makings of being a fine bowling all rounder. He has the strokes and is aggressive and if he believes in his ability with the bat should Aussie cricket well. As for the Aussies their controversial rotation policy has deprived the team of momentum. Chopping, changing and resting has taken away team spirit and the togetherness. But it will be anathema to the Aussies if they lose the one day series. They have not lost a one day series for a long time and are sure to bare their fangs and come hungry at the Lankans.

Hobart,Tasmania, Tuesday.

 

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