As a batting collective, the Australians are devoting their preparatory energy to the idea of spending long periods of time in the middle, showing patience and not allowing Sri Lanka’s spinners or pacers to goad them into errors against in and out fields.
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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has reportedly made a formal complaint to Cricket Australia (CA) over an altercation between Muralitharan and the Sri Lanka team manager.
Earlier Sri Lankan batsmen disappointed their captain Angelo Mathews who made a decision to bat first on a bright sunny day at the Pallekele International Stadium.
O’Keefe, who was also more than handy with the bat, said he and Lyon had benefited from Muralidaran’s presence.
Hazelwood is, however, hopeful that the embarrassment caused by the batting collapse will play on the home batsmen’s minds for the rest of the series thus making things a lot easier for the Australian bowling attack.
David Warner’s broken left index finger has healed enough for him to bat but, according to Smith, not enough for him to stand in the slips.
WHERE: Follow live on IndianExpress.com or broadcast on Ten Network. From there on Sri Lanka were always playing catch-up to the Australians.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who had been ill, was wicketless in the first innings of the tour match, but responded with two in the second.
Sandakan and Rangana Herath both took four wickets as the tourists were bowled out for 203 on Wednesday, leaving Steven Smith’s side with a lead of 86.
“We may have to work on a few other things, and I think reverse swing will be a huge factor as well”, he said.
O’Keefe, with two Tests to his credit, claimed 10 wickets in the tour match and, according to Smith, also his NSW teammate, he has never been in better form.
And Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in Test history, then accused the board president of knowing nothing about cricket and angrily denounced any suggestion of being “a traitor”.
Sri Lanka will be looking to get back to winning ways as they host Australia, which marks the beginning of their home season. Have they done one hundredth of what I have contributed to cricket in Sri Lanka?
But they will want to head to India in February for a four-Test series there with as much confidence as possible – not only in match situations, but in the manner they have prepared for this series.
“Anything you can get on the opposition is crucial”, Hazlewood said.
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Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan and Suranga Lakmal. We haven’t played them a lot, especially our bowlers.
