Australia v. Sri Lanka - 1st. Test

[Donny]

Symonds eyes first baggy green

By Malcolm Conn


THE tears of joy Andrew Symonds shed on the field when Australia won the World Cup in South Africa 12 months ago will be surpassed if he is chosen to play his first Test, against Sri Lanka, on Monday.

"Being handed a baggy green cap, I don't think there would be anything better for a cricketer to directly achieve," Symonds said after scoring an unbeaten 119 in the tour match against a President's XI at the Colombo Cricket Club yesterday.

Now among the most potent one-day players in the world, Symonds is marching emphatically towards his dream following a maiden first-class century for Australia late on Wednesday.

"I feel as ready as I'll probably ever be to play Test cricket, if I'm given the opportunity," he said.

If Symonds does manage to get through the log-jam of candidates to claim a place for the Test in Galle, he believes he can bring an extra dimension to the world champions.

"I'd like to think I can maybe add a freshness to the side," he said. "Just being a new person, keen in the field and over-zealous, probably to the point of being stupid if it's a hot day or we haven't got a wicket for a while. A couple of jokes or something."

The fact he so easily reached three figures under the pressure of needing to perform to stay in the Test race shows how far Symonds has taken his game.

"That's one of the things I did use to help control the way I batted," he said. "Hopefully, I'm getting better at that sort of batting anyway."

An audacious talent, Symonds has a shot for every ball, and not so long ago used to play them one after the other until he got himself out in silly and soft ways.

Now things are different. One of his primary aims in this tour match was "not to play a stupid shot", something he emphasised repeatedly.

In the end a couple of lusty blows against a modest and dispirited attack on a fast ground could have brought him three figures but instead he chose to bunt seven consecutive singles, the most in a row during his entire innings.

"I just made a conscious effort not to give them a chance or bitterly disappoint myself by doing something stupid," Symonds said.

The 28-year-old said that in the past he probably would have been like a rabbit in headlights batting in that same situation.

"Just the way I would have gone about it. I probably would have rushed in a bit without a plan and without thinking about it. Not that I'm a great thinker," he said.

"I've just got a plan now and feel that I can follow that. If that doesn't work, as long as I've tried that's all I can really do."

If Symonds is to wear the baggy green for the first time he must squeeze out either Darren Lehmann or Simon Katich and bat in the top six, giving the option of his medium pace and off-spin as an extra bowler.

It is most unlikely that Lehmann will go, despite an absence through injury of almost five months, given his experience, ability against spin and three centuries from his past nine Test innings.

Equally, it would be unfair for Katich to lose his place given his outstanding Test form this summer and a century in his last Test. Add to this the centuries that Katich and Lehmann scored in this match with Symonds and Ricky Ponting and the selectors have more options than places in the XI.

None of this, Symonds claims in his down-to-earth way, is creating friction in the team as the Test draws closer.

"There's no animosity. The boys are pretty happy for each other," he said.

"It's a pretty important tour this. We want to be successful here.

"Sitting down watching Simon bat, I was happy to see he was in form. Batting against their spinners over here can be very difficult.

"The same with Boof (Lehmann).

"Obviously Punter (Ponting), no stress with him, he'll probably get a game."

[Donny]

Aussie game plan on ice
By Robert Craddock in Galle
March 6, 2004

SHANE Warne has reclaimed his mantle as the No. 1 spinner but Brett Lee's future looked dim as Australia's Test match game plan was on ice yesterday.

Lee, who sustained post operation soreness on his left ankle bowling against the President's XI on Thursday, has volunteered to take anti-inflammatory tablets and bowl through pain if asked to in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Monday.

After icing and further treatment Lee's condition improved overnight but Australia has reservations about risking him. Even Lee concedes it is a race against time.

"If it was a week away I would be a much higher chance of playing," Lee said. "I have been bowling with pain for the last couple of years. You get used to it.

"I am not going to put myself in a position where I am not 100 per cent going into a Test match. I have never done that."

Australia is contemplating dropping Stuart MacGill and playing three fast bowlers if Lee plays but if Lee withdraws it appears Warne and MacGill will be paired behind fast men Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz.

The call between Andrew Symonds and Simon Katich has become so tight it will be decided by the shape of the side around them.

"That could even depend on how many quickies we go in with," skipper Ricky Ponting said.

"If we decide to go in with two quicks Symonds is going to be more of a chance because he can bowl those medium pacers we may need as well. If we decide to go with three quicks then it's probably less likely he'll play."

Symonds' unpretentious off-spinners are also considered a genuine weapon by Ponting. "If he bowls well he's going to be a danger here. Those faster type off-spinners landing in the foot marks and grabbing can be difficult to face," Ponting said.

The Australians are pleased the Galle practice wickets are on the centre wicket block because they will get the chance to assess likely match conditions.

MacGill's radar was askew in the President's XI game, where his bowling arm looked low, prompting him to drag the ball down or across the batsmen.

Though MacGill took more wickets that Warne, the returning star looked more in control of his game and will be the man chosen if Australia wants only one spinner.

[Donny]

So, from that, it boils down to this: If Lee's fit, Symonds and MacGill will play. If not, they'll go with 3 quicks, leave Symonds and MacGill out and play Katich at 6.

Mmm. I'm not sure about that reasoning. If Lee's out you play Kaspa and Willo and drop MacGill ? How does that work ?

Surely, the assessment of the Test wicket will determine the XI, not if Lee's fit or not.

[Donny]

Sri Lanka name spin-heavy Test squad

Wisden Cricinfo staff

Sri Lanka have called up Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Nuwan Zoysa, Avishka Gunawardene and Nuwan Kulasekera into a 15-man squad for the first Test match against Australia, which starts in the south coast town of Galle on Monday.

The selectors, who picked the side on Thursday night after the completion of a three-day warm-up match between Australia and a President's XI, included four specialist spinners in a match that should be dominated by the slow bowlers.

Rangana Herath, a left-arm spinner, is the surprise omission after impressive performances for Sri Lanka A in South Africa and India. His omission from the A squad for a tour of New Zealand had suggested a promotion to the national team.

Zoysa, now 25 years old, returns to the fold for the first time since June 2002 after his match-winning performance against Australia in the final one-dayer, when he grabbed three wickets and then stroked 47 from 42 balls.

Zoysa is expected to open the bowling with Chaminda Vaas. The seamers will be backed up by two frontline spinners and seven batsmen. But there is an outside chance that the final XI will include three specialist slow bowlers.

The squad needs to to be ratified by the Minister of Sports.

Sri Lanka squad Hashan Tillakaratne (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Avishka Gunawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Nuwan Kulasekara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, Upul Chandana, Kaushal Lokuarachchi

[Canberra]

Australia won the toss and elected to bat. Symonds got a Baggy Green,unfortunately Martyn will be donning his as well. SL opened with the spinner Dharmasena partnering Vaas.

[tazza2000]

Langer gone for 12
Bowled Dharmasena Caught Sangakkara

Aus 1/35

[Donny]

From 3/76, Martyn and Lehmann added 72 valuable runs before Martyn went for 42 to Dharmasena (2/41)

Lehmann is 34 n.o.

[Donny]

5/159 as Symmo goes for a duck. Looked a bit suss but, as they say, look in the scorebook. He's out.

Gilly starts with a four. Lehmann is 40 n.o.
--------------------

Gilchrist sweeps, in the air. GONE !! 6/163.

[Donny]

Boofa goes to his half century with a beautiful cover driven four.

[Donny]

All out for 220.

Lehmann made 63 and took his average past the 50 mark. He also racked up his 1000 Test runs.

Murali took 6/59.

[The Prototype]

I hope MacGill bowls better then he bats, both he and Warney should have some fun on this wicket. Maybe even Symonds could get amongst the wickets in his first test.

[LeonMcS]

Was hoping for 300 at least. Marto's dismissal was very soft...

[London Dave]

turnin square on day one is it?

i might even be able to deviate a ball off the straight on this deck...

[Donny]

Langer, Hayden, Ponting, Symonds and Gilchrist ? Some of the best batting talent in world cricket. They made 75 between them.

Lehmann, who didn't deserve to walk straight back into the Aussie Test XI according to a scribe or two in here, and Martyn, roundly condemned for having the hide to show his face in such a star studded line up, made 105.

I must say, at least 4 of Murali's wickets were gifts. Hayden played a 'get out' legside stroke, Gilly's shot was a shocker and JLC could have got Kaspa and MacGill, considering the so called strokes they played to get out.

Marto also played a painfully 'soft' shot from Dharmasena, to be caught around the corner.

[JLC]

PATIENCE - The Australian batsman in particular Ponting lack that. Pontings was a terrible dismisal. I think the Australians got a little ahead of the,selves after the one day series with all their Murali talk. They look stupid now as he took 6 wickets.

I didnt watch much of the rest of the innings.

Well it is lucky the Australians know how to play Murali as if they didnt he would take all 10 wickets.......lol I am also feeling pretty safe at the moment with the bet i having going with Donny re Gilchrist.

Katich must feel terribly unlucky at being dropped after making 100 and 70 not out in his last test match.


jlc