Australia brimming with confidence before first serious test

Charlie Austin

September 26, 2002

Fresh from their short sojourn in the Maldives Islands, where they relaxed after booking themselves into the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals with two emphatic victories, Australia take on Sri Lanka today brimming with confidence.

Since failing to qualify for the VB Series finals last summer, Australia have excelled in the one-day game, brushing aside South Africa 5-1 earlier in the year, walloping both Pakistan and Kenya at Nairobi last month and then crushing both New Zealand and Bangladesh here in Sri Lanka.

No wonder coach John Buchanan is pleased with the side's progress: "There's a lot of good signs that things are moving in the right direction ... on their day this is a very, very talented side. If everything comes together in one effort other teams will find it very difficult to deal with."

However, he also sounded a warning note, well aware that Australia face a stern challenge against tournament hosts in conditions ideally suited to Sri Lanka's spinners.

"I sense at the moment we haven't been totally tested and we'll find that out on Friday night."

Captain Ricky Ponting agreed: "This is a big game for us. As a captain this is going to be the biggest game, apart from my first as the captain. But we know that we are a good side, and we know that if we play to our best, we are going to be hard to beat."

"They are a very good side, we are a pretty good side too. It's going to be tough but we are not going to complicate things too much. It is just another game of cricket and we are going to go out to get the basics of the one-day cricket well, and if we do that we will be right in the game."

Ponting admits that the toss will be important on a pitch at its best for batting in the afternoon.

"I have said right through the tournament that my preference here will be to bat first. South Africa got themselves into a good position last night but they dug themselves into a hole they couldn't get out of."

But win or loss he claimed his side would just roll up their sleeves and get on with the job: "We are going to go out and do whatever we can to perform. If that means to scratch around to make 220 and then defend the total, then that is what we will do. If it is going to be chasing a big total or defend a small total, we are confident that we can do that as well."

Muttiah Muralitharan, who has taken 38 wickets in 17 games at Premadasa International Stadium, conceding just 3.31 runs per over, is identified as the primary threat.

"He is a world-class bowler," said Ponting. "He is going to be the hardest bowler not only to score off but also their main wicket-taking bowler. We have left it to the individual players to work out a game plan to play him."

Damien Martyn is set to return to the side after recovering from a hip injury sustained during the New Zealand game when he top scored with 73.

"Damien had a work out in the nets yesterday and he should be 100% fit for tomorrow," said Ponting.

The only decision for the selectors is whether an extra spinner should be included. The slower bowlers have proved the most effective bowlers at Premadasa, especially during the latter overs, but Ponting suggested that they would make do without off-spinning all-rounder Nathan Hauritz.

"It is going to be hard to change the side that has been performing well over the last few weeks," he said. "We have part time spinners in Lehmann and Bevan if required. The Sri Lankan batsman would rather play spinners than the quick stuff, so it is probably unlikely that we will change the side."

Australia (From)

Adam Gilchrist (wk), Matthew Hayden, Jimmy Maher, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Bevan, Darren Lehmann, Damien Martyn, Shane Watson, Shane Warne, Nathan Hauritz, Andy Bichel, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.

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