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Lanka names four spinners to test Australia
Dambulla, Feb 19: Australia will face the brunt of a formidable Sri Lankan spin attack on Friday when it takes the field for the first of five limited-over matches on a slow, turning wicket.
Dambulla, Feb 19: Australia will face the brunt of a formidable Sri Lankan spin attack on Friday when it takes the field for the first of five limited-over matches on a slow, turning wicket.
The Aussies, fresh from convincing home wins against India in the tri-nation series finals, are in for a different challenge here, says Sri Lankan One-day skipper Marvan Atapattu.
"We know our cricket, the way we play the One-day game, and our approach to it under these conditions and the types of wickets. It is our greatest strength," Atapattu said.
"Playing on home soil and in front of our own crowd will be our greatest strength."
Australia won the last encounter between the two sides - a 2003 World Cup semifinal match in South Africa - but Sri Lanka can look for inspiration from their 2002 Champions Trophy win in Colombo.
Sri Lanka's team selections for the first two matches are indicative of their reliance on their strength - spin bowling.
There are four specialist spinners in the squad - Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, Upul Chandana and young legspinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi, along with part-timers Sanath Jayasuriya and Russel Arnold.
But Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is confident his team has improved its game on turning pitches and their recent records only show that they are not meek performers against spin.
"What we've done over the last few years with our play in the subcontinent, I think we have improved a lot," Ponting said. Australia won five of its six tri-nations series matches last year on spinning Indian wickets, including the tournament final against the hosts.
The Aussies, fresh from convincing home wins against India in the tri-nation series finals, are in for a different challenge here, says Sri Lankan One-day skipper Marvan Atapattu.
"We know our cricket, the way we play the One-day game, and our approach to it under these conditions and the types of wickets. It is our greatest strength," Atapattu said.
"Playing on home soil and in front of our own crowd will be our greatest strength."
Australia won the last encounter between the two sides - a 2003 World Cup semifinal match in South Africa - but Sri Lanka can look for inspiration from their 2002 Champions Trophy win in Colombo.
Sri Lanka's team selections for the first two matches are indicative of their reliance on their strength - spin bowling.
There are four specialist spinners in the squad - Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, Upul Chandana and young legspinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi, along with part-timers Sanath Jayasuriya and Russel Arnold.
But Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is confident his team has improved its game on turning pitches and their recent records only show that they are not meek performers against spin.
"What we've done over the last few years with our play in the subcontinent, I think we have improved a lot," Ponting said. Australia won five of its six tri-nations series matches last year on spinning Indian wickets, including the tournament final against the hosts.