Sunday, August 07, 2011

New-look Aussies search for inspiration to level series

Sri Lankan skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan took away all the honours in the first T20I against Australia but it was more than an individual performance by the hosts.

Aussie skipper Cameron White had chosen to bowl seeing the overcast conditions but his bowlers sprayed the ball to all parts. Sri Lanka took full toll of that and one might say that the visitors got on the wrong side of Dilshan on that evening. But to be fair, none of the Aussie bowlers impressed.

The bowling looked rusty and the fielding was uncharacteristically shoddy. As far as the batting is concerned, none of the batsmen apart from David Warner showed any signs of staying at the crease. The men in yellow were bamboozled by the spinners and had no answers.

Talking about the Lankans, they have started this series on a fine note. The Aussies are known for aggression but it was Sri Lanka who took the bull by the horns. Skipper Dilshan led from the front and made a scintillating century.

It is not a familiar sight for the Aussies being 1-0 down. They usually come out hard on the opponents and aim to win the first game. This is a new-look outfit and will take time to adjust, especially in the alien conditions.

There may not be much changes in the side apart from the inclusion of Aaron Finch to bolster the batting. On the other hand, given the way the Aussies struggled against the Lankans the other night, the hosts might go in for an extra spinner in place of a batsman.

In spite of the defeat, Australia start the game with a Castrol Index of 186, 15 clear of the Lankans.

Having written all this, if the Aussies play with grit and determination, they can level the series.

 

Friday, August 05, 2011

Start of a comprehensive tour for Oz in Lanka

Australia travel to Sri Lanka for their first international cricket since the short 3-ODI series against Bangladesh. The tour kicks off with two T20Is against the Lankans, both of which are to be held at the Pallekelle stadium. It will be the first time this ground has hosted a T20I and the organisers want to deliver a treat for the fans.

This will also be Australia’s first T20I in Sri Lanka against whom they have played on four occasions - winning and losing two games each.

Unlike the Lankans, who will be led by Tillakaratne Dilshan throughout, the Aussies will be led by Cameron White for the shortest format of the game and then by Michael Clarke for the five ODIs and three Tests. Neither Australian captain will have to play under the other, however, as White is not part of the ODI or Test squads and Clarke has retired from T20 cricket.

This will be Dilshan’s second series as full-time captain, and he is sure to want to last the distance, after injury forced him out during the Test series against England. His form after that was noticeably dismal, as he made just 17 runs in five ODI innings.

Angelo Mathews is likely to have a huge role to play. The young vice-captain did very well in England and might also be expected to bowl with the new ball against Australia as Lasith Malinga has been forced to sit out because of an injury.

The hosts’ squad for the two T20I games is heavily spin-centred. Six of them are capable spinners, which could be a surprise as the pitch in Kandy might be less spin-friendly as the others on the island nation.

With both teams in a period of transition, and missing out on some prominent names, there may be little to lose for either team, although the Lankans will be disappointed with anything less than victory on their home soil. It is also a chance for those selected to get their eye in - especially for the Aussies who have not toured here since 2004, although they did play a couple of World Cup matches here earlier in the year.

It’s a long tour ahead for the Australians and they will want to start it off with a creditable performance.