Sri Lanka v. Australia - 3rd Test

[Go_The_Mighty_Magpies]

All eyes on Warne

Charlie Austin - Fox


Shane Warne was the biggest story before the series, and he has remained the hottest topic right through to the finale. After a remarkable comeback to the international arena, Warne finds himself within striking distance of Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 wickets. With the Sinhalese Sports Club pitch offering turn and bounce, there is every chance that Warne will create history.

Warne's return has been sensational. For the majority of his 12-month drug ban, he concentrated on reducing his golfing handicap. But as the New Year arrived, he embarked upon a rigorous training programme that leaves him fitter, trimmer and beaming with energy. His bowling has regained some of his mid-1990s verve, and his 20 wickets at 15.7 are the single most important reason why Australia head into the final Test with a 2-0 lead.

Ricky Ponting, his captain, while stressing that the team always comes before the individual for Australia, will give him every chance of extending his career tally, of 511 wickets, past Walsh's: "I can't bowl the ball for him, but I can help him out with a few more overs if he wants to bowl and is close to the record. If he keeps bowling as well as he has been then there is a huge chance that he will be able to reach it. He is going to get some assistance from the pitch."

Warne's performance has left no-one in any doubt as to who is the best legspinner in Australia, and, although he provided a rich seam of scalps during Warne's drugs ban, Stuart MacGill may now have to return to the bench once more. Ponting believes the pitch will offer a little extra bounce and pace, and Australia are seriously considering the inclusion of a third seamer, almost certainly Brad Williams, who has bowled his heart out in the nets all tour.

Australia have faced tough selection decisions all tour and the third game throws up familiar conundrums. Ponting says: "There are a lot of things we have to consider going into this game: has the balance been right or not? Do we need another quick bowler or not? We have got to toss up those things today and see what balance we come up with. This selection is going to be very difficult."

Andrew Symonds's position is in the greatest danger. Picked as an allrounder who provided a useful seamer's option with a two-pronged pace attack, he was used sparingly with the ball in Kandy, and his inclusion ahead of Simon Katich, who scored 125 and 77 not out in his last Test match, is increasingly hard to justify. "We just needed someone there to give us a couple of overs of medium pace or some tight overs of spin, which Symo was able to do in that first Test match, but has since then been fairly sparingly used. We have to weigh up whether we need that again, or [whether] we [need to] go back to a batsman in that position."

Whatever way they go Australia aim to finish on a high: "We have made a bit of a commitment in the [team] meeting that we were going to endeavor to finish the tour as well as we started it," said Ponting. "This is a team that has set a lot of records over the years and achieved a lot of things that other teams have not been able to achieve and there wouldn't have been many sides that have come here and won a Test series 3-0. That is something that we want to do." In fact, no team has whitewashed Sri Lanka at home.


The Warne Show. and the hype over the world record, has overshadowed most things, including the possible, indeed probable, end of Tillakaratne's rein as Test captain. With one win in 10 Tests the guillotine is poised to fall as soon as the final Test is finished. With 81 runs in four innings in the series, even his future as a Test player cannot be assured, as the selectors have hinted that they may look to the future during the forthcoming Zimbabwe tour.

Tillakaratne admits that the outlook is bleak but just wants to finish on a high: "It does not bother me whether I remain as captain for the next series. If I am stepping down, I just want to go on a high note and try and perform at my level best. As soon as I got the captaincy I was scoring runs but it suddenly disappeared. I have to back myself and try and come out of the situation. We have dominated the last two Tests and it is high time we overcome all our mistakes and try and win this Test."

Sri Lanka are also considering changes for the final match. The merry-go-round search for a second spinner has become so frustrating that they may just throw Nuwan Kulasekera, a lively seamer with an energetic action and the ability to swing the ball both ways, into the fray. But if they go for a spinner then Rangana Herath, a left-armer, may get a chance.

In the batting department, Sri Lanka welcome back Thilan Samaraweera, a figure who is increasingly being looked at as a top-order fixture rather than lower-middle-order insurance policy. Samaraweera's record – 857 runs at 65.92 in 15 matches – is excellent and Sri Lanka will probably now slip him into the No. 3 position, which will have the advantage of giving Kumar Sangakkara some respite after keeping wicket.

Squads


Sri Lanka 1 Marvan Atapattu, 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Thilan Samaraweera, 4 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Hashan Tillakaratne (capt), 7 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Nuwan Zoysa, 10 Nuwan Kulasekera, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan, 12 Avishka Gunawardene 13 Upul Chandana, 14 Rangana Herath, 15 Kaushal Lokuarachchi.

Australia 1 Justin Langer, 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Darren Lehmann, 6 Simon Katich, 7 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 8 Shane Warne, 9 Michael Kasprowizc, 10 Jason Gillespie, 11 Brad Williams, 12 Stuart MacGill, 13 Shaun Tait, 14 Wade Seccombe, 15 Andrew Symonds.

[Donny]

The Test starts at 3.30 pm tomorrow. It comes on Fox a little earlier than that.

[Donny]

It's team history first

By Malcolm Conn - Fox


RICKY PONTING will do all he can to guide Shane Warne towards becoming the world record wicket-taker in the third Test beginning today, if it does not compromise Australia's push for an unprecedented series clean sweep.


The Australia captain believes Warne, who has 20 wickets from two Tests in the series, can gain the nine wickets necessary to pass Courtney Walsh's 519.

But Ponting has made it clear that the central focus is to ensure Australia does not suffer a repeat of dead-rubber syndrome.

"We won't be playing around with individual performances too much if there is a game in the balance," Ponting said.

"If the chance comes up in the game then, sure, he will get the chance.

"If he can keep bowling, as he probably will want to anyway, no matter how tired he is. Then if he's getting close he's going to have every opportunity.

"We don't ever make much of a deal about those sort of individual records. The way this team heads is all around team performances."

No touring side has won 3-0 in Sri Lanka. Already up 2-0, Ponting is keen for this record-breaking side to claim another slice of history.

It would be an enormous achievement because Sri Lanka have won their past six Tests at the SCC Ground in Colombo by huge margins, the last against England in December by an innings and 215 runs.

[Donny]

The forecast is hot and cloudy for the first day and then three days of possible thunderstorms and a clear 5th. day.

Don't be surprised if Ponting bowls first if he wins the toss, especially if they've gone with 3 quicks.

[Donny]

Well, they have gone with 3 quicks and Ponting did win the toss but two things made him decide to bat.

The wicket looks very good for batting and Sri Lanka will bat last. With Warne in your side, that aspect deserves much consideration.

[Donny]

Australia wins toss, bats

Fox

AUSTRALIAN captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo here today.

Australia made two changes to the team which won the opening two Tests, bringing back fast bowler Brad Williams for legspinner Stuart MacGill and returning Simon Katich to the No.6 spot ahead of Andrew Symonds.

Williams will play his first Test in more than 12 weeks after MacGill went wicketless in the previous Test in Kandy and the Australian selectors decided the SSC pitch was likely to offer more assistance to seam bowlers.

Sri Lanka also made two changes.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath replaces legspinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi while Thilan Samaraweera is fit again and has replaced Avishka Gunawardene.

It's warm and muggy in Colombo but overcast with a threat of rain.

Teams:

Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Brad Williams. Andrew Symonds 12th man.

Sri Lanka: Hashan Tillakaratne (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Sanath Jayasuriya, Thilan Samaraweera, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralitharan.

[Donny]

2 overs. 10 runs. They're off to a positive start.

[Johnson#26]

GREAT to have Katich back in the line up! Throughly deserves a chance.

[Blanch]

Top work Justin. Just as you get going, you get out. Hayden follows not long after. 2/88 not long ago.

[The Prototype]

Is it on the radio? I checked out ABC Local radio and it wasn't on.

[Donny]

At lunch, it's 2/96 with Ponting on 34 n.o. and Martyn, 14 n.o.
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My email back from the Ricky Ponting: "Sorry, mate. Gilly told me about your bet with JLC. I've had a touch of bad luck so far but will put things right in this Test.

He reckons I need 64 if I bat once and 94 over 2 innings, if I'm out twice, for an average of 30. Start counting your money, Donny. I'm keen for a biggy here.

Cheers, Punter.

PS. Marto sends his regards to JLC and all his other supporters at Nick's."

[Donny]

Vaas is a class act. Gets the edge from Martyn and the Aussies are 3/99.
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Ponting goes to his 50 with a nice cut for four from Murali and then celebrates with another, over mid wicket. 3/146.
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Go Ricky. He's 80 n.o. and Lehmann, 29 n.o. as the total goes to 3/177.

[JLC]

At least sanity has prevailed and Symonds has been dropped along with the gorilla.

Tell Martyn i have been trying to contact him for the last two years but he had been very quiet.........must have been all the extra net practice he had been putting in.

Deano wanted me to pass on to Ricky that scores in test matches of a dead series dont count too highly based on his experiences.

jlc

[Donny]

Trying to wriggle out are you, mate ?
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100 partnership up between Ponting and Lehmann.
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You're still a chance, JLC. Ponting out for 92. If he gets a duck or 1 in the second dig, his average will be just short of 30.
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At tea, it's 4/217 with Lehmann on 52 n.o. Vaas has 3/60 from 15 overs.
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5/253 as Katich goes to Murali. Lehmann is 70 n.o.

[JLC]

Nah Ponting is a very good player so no qualms there. Hasnt been his best series but then he has been up for quite a while.

jlc