The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Sri Lanka expresses confidence

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Thursday, Oct 25, 2007
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Sri Lanka expresses confidence

ADELAIDE: Sri Lanka expressed confidence in its ability to threaten the world’s best side when it arrived in Australia on Wednesday for a two-Test series.

“The last few occasions we were here for the one dayers we’ve proved we can handle pace and bounce against quality opposition and it’s a good testing ground for us,” touring captain Mahela Jayawardene said. “We’ve competed really well in the last 18 months away from home, we’ve beaten New Zealand in New Zealand, England in England, so this is another place for us to challenge ourselves.”

The Sri Lankans believe they have the bowling armoury — a four-pronged pace attack supported by spinner Muttiah Muralitharan — to flourish in Australian conditions.

“The pace bowling attack is extremely strong, they showed that in the last one-day series against England, four good pace bowlers and the conditions out here will suit them,” coach Trevor Bayliss said.

Home advantage

Jayawardene warned Australia’s formidable home advantage would test every aspect of the touring team.

“They’ve still got a very good side. We have to challenge them in bowling, batting, fielding and mentally be very tough under different conditions. We have to be very strong to beat them in different situations in the matches,” he said.

“It’s not just one area but if you are to beat Australia in Australia you have to play your best game possible.”

No team has beaten Australia in a Test series in Australia since the West Indies in 1993, though South Africa (1994), New Zealand (2001) and India (2004) have drawn series.

Bayliss and Jayawardene hoped Sri Lanka would receive a fair reception from Australian crowds. Muralitharan, particularly, has been taunted by Australian fans on past tours.

Murali, who has refused to tour Australia in the past because of crowds taunting his unusual bowling action, wants to show why he is one of the best bowlers in the world, Jayawardene said.

“He hasn’t played here for 10 years in a Test match and he’s pretty geared up I think. He feels Australia is one of the places that he has to challenge himself,” Jayawardene said.

“This is probably a place where he has to prove he’s one of the top bowlers in the world, so I think he’s looking forward to the challenge.”

‘Murali’ needs just nine wickets to overhaul Warne’s 708 Test scalps in the Test matches in Brisbane and Hobart starting on November 8 and 16. The Sri Lanka tour follows Australia’s return home after a bitter series against India marred by the racial taunting of the team’s only black player, Andrew Symonds — Agencies

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