This column is a fan of Sri Lanka but their ODI form has
been so poor that Australia can’t be left alone at 4/5 to wrap up the series
tomorrow if Australia continue their winning form after comfortably taking the
first two matches.
Sri Lanka’s batting has been usually poor with their batsmen
first of all chasing runs far too hard before then going way too slowly in the second game with the
same result - In the first game, too many men threw their wickets away, almost
like they were still in Twenty20 mode, and then the opposite occurred.
The addition of Lasith Malinga from a back injury did show
when he splayed the stumps of Shane Watson with an inswinging Yorker but that
was the only wicket he took all game and more than that will be needed.
For much of the innings, the run-rate hovered below four,
which left Australia with just 209 for victory, a target so easy that they got
there within 11.4 overs to spare and the minimum of effort extended.
Australia were lampooned here but there have been some clear
changes which explain a lot. Since Michael Clarke came into the captaincy for
Australia he’s led Australia to five wins from five games and he has been
scoring runs, with a pair of half-centuries in Sri Lanka to add to his 101 in
Bangladesh in his first match in charge.
Secondly, the good captaincy of Clarke has released the previously
maligned, under pressure and worried icky Ponting, who retains all ability. Ponting
drove the seamers confidently and swivelled a rank long hop from Kulasekara for
six, showing all of his old class while Clarke tucked into some freebie fours
toward the tail end of the home side's hopes of a late charge.
Their stand amounted to 107 at a rate of 5.78 to the over
for the third wicket and confidence like that, if carried over, should see them
knock up similar totals against Sri Lanka.
The second factor may well be the change to a 50 over game,
which seems to have positively affected Australia’s bowling. Wickets have come
from Doug Bollinger, Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee, and the spinners have done
their job of keeping things tight. While Johnson especially is firing Australia
seem like a far better side and should he fails Brett Lee will surely pick up
the pieces and with that I back Australia to wrap up the series.
Advice
1 pt Australia (4/5 general)
No comments:
Post a Comment