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Colombo: If Sri Lanka can put it across Australia, unbeaten in their last 31 WC games, at the R Premadasa on Saturday, Sangakkara and Co. will be immortalized.
Sri Lankan fans and cricketers don't love anything more than beating Australia. They still haven't forgotten Murali's Boxing Day humiliation at the hands of umpire Darrell Hair in 1995. They haven't forgotten how some of their key players were wrongly given out during the Tri-series finals in Australia. They still haven't forgotten the fact that the Australian team chose not to travel to Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup, citing security reasons.
Saturday offers the Lankans a chance of redemption. So what if their only World Cup win came on March 17, 1996 on a famous dewy night in Lahore? So what if their World Cup record stands at 1-6? So what if they have been soundly thrashed by Australia in their last four World Cup meetings?
Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan skipper, who has been part of the team in their last four losses to Australia, stressed how this team is different. "I don't think the belief in those teams was as strong as it is now."
The captain's optimism stems from the fact that the core of the World Cup team is the same compared to the side that won an ODI series in Australia. "When we went to Australia on our last tour, the key changes that we made was to get our attitude and the way we looked at the opportunity of winning and our mental strength right. Those changes are more important than the technical changes."
Another reason why the Sri Lankans can puff their chests out on Saturday when they walk out for the national anthems is the absence of the great names in the Aussie team. Their perennial tormentors, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Glenn McGrath have retired. Captain Ricky Ponting is the only great player in this team which many have suggested will crumble against spin. That's one area in which the Lankans have a problem of plenty.
There is already talk that the hosts will go in for a three-pronged spin attack (Muralitharan, Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis) considering the fact that historically, the pitch here becomes slower and batting gets very difficult.
But that was the story when Ponting and Australia contested an ODI here on February 27, 2004. That was the last time Australia played Sri Lanka on this ground. And most people observe that the wicket has changed character after being relaid. "The new stadium looks fantastic and by what I have watched, I don't think the toss will be that much of a factor," reckoned Ponting. Indeed, even his opposite number felt batting second shouldn't be difficult.
But what will be difficult for Ponting and the rest of the guys is decoding Lasith Malinga. The Lankan slinger picked up 6/38 including a hat-trick against Kenya and he is no doubt very much on the Australian minds. "He was one of the main topic of discussion in our team meeting. We were talking about the various ways to play him. His bowling in the middle overs, with the older ball, is particularly good. So we have to make sure when he comes into bowl in the middle overs, we don't let him take wickets."
The Aussies too have pace to challenge Sri Lanka. In Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait, they have an explosive and potent fast-bowling attack. Australians have always loved to challenge notions and theories. There is a theory doing the rounds that an all out pace attack in the sub-continent won't win you big moments of the big games in the World Cup. By 10 pm on Saturday, we'll get to know if the theory is right or wrong.
Teams from
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (C & WK), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene (VC), Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thissara Perera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando
Australia: Ricky Ponting (C), Michael Clarke (VC), Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin (WK), John Hastings, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine (WK), Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Cameron White, Callum Ferguson, Jason Krejza
Pitch and conditions
It pelted down on Friday evening in Colombo, and there's light rain forecast for Saturday as well. If the weather stays clear, the teams will likely have to deal with a sluggish pitch, the same surface that was used for the Kenya-Sri Lanka match.
Stats and trivia
Head to head
Match facts
Saturday March 5, 2011 (day/night)
Start time 14:30 local (0900 GMT)
