Aussies hungry for victory to square series:
Lankans out to give Mahela a memorable farewell
Nail biting final game on the cards in Hobart:
Elmo Rodrigopulle - Reporting From Australia
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.
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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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