16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

Entertainment Cricket and Other Sports
1

Australia has yet to loose a game in World Cup since Pakistan beat them by 10 runs at Headingley in May 1999. Sri Lanka are one of the favorites in this World Cup. All-rounder Shane Watson (calf) is out for the Aussies, while Sri Lanka are missing paceman Lasith Malinga (ankle).

Australia has won past 4 out of 5 World Cup meetings. Sri Lanka won the 1996 final.

If Sri Lanka wants to beat Australia, their top batsmen need to produce runs and give them a great start. They can not loose early wickets and expect to turn it all around with their weak lower order batsmen. On bowling front, they will miss Malinga if he unable to play even though Murli, Vaas and Maharoof will keep the Aussie batsmen busy.

Australia (from): R Ponting (capt), A Gilchrist, M Hayden, M Clarke, A Symonds, B Hodge, M Hussey, B Hogg, N Bracken, G McGrath, S Tait, S Clark, M Johnson, B Haddin.

Sri Lanka (from): M Jayawardene (capt), S Jayasuriya, U Tharanga, K Sangakkara, C Silva, T Dilshan, R Arnold, C Vaas, F Maharoof, D Fernando, M Muralitharan, M Atapattu, N Kulasekera, M Bandara.

Umpires: A Dar (Pkn), B Doctrove (WI)

2

Re: 6 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

Sir jee 16 April not 6 April. :)

3

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

^ done. Prediction, please.

4

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

Australia. SL are good but Aus are a cut above the rest.

5

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

If Sri Lanka is able to strike the Aussie top order, they can win. So far they have been dependent on Ponting, Gilchrist and Hayden for their victories.

I have Sri Lanka as winners.

6

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

Since it's increasingly looking like an Australia-SriLanka Final, I would n't mind if SLA narrowly lost tomorrow and beat the Aussies in the real thing.

7

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

If it goes according to the form of both teams it should be a close and interesting match.

8

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka will test us - McGrath
Glenn McGrath, who is usually so certain of Australia’s ability to beat all opposition, said their match against Sri Lanka on Monday would be a “big test” and the conditions would favour Sri Lanka. His comments came as Mahela Jayawardene also talked up his side’s chances despite the absence of Lasith Malinga, their strike bowler.
McGrath said Australia’s first game at Grenada - where Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand on Thursday - would be a challenge. “From what we’ve seen, the pitch in Grenada is slower and takes some turn,” McGrath told AFP. “It will be a big test for us and probably suit Sri Lanka.”
Australia will target Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer in the tournament, and they hope his below-par record against Australia continues. “There is no doubt he is a great player and we’d like to get on top of him early and knock him over,” McGrath said.
Jayawardene said Sri Lanka believed they had the form and ability to become the first team to beat Australia in a World Cup match since 1999. “I think we have a very good record against Australia,” he said. “Why? Because we play our brand of cricket and we are not afraid of doing that.”
They will have to produce that brand of cricket without the destructive Malinga, who has 15 wickets in the tournament but is likely to miss the game with an ankle injury. He has never lined up against Australia in a one-day match - although he played two Tests against them in 2004 - and Jayawardene said it was unclear whether keeping him “hidden” until a possible meeting in the semi-finals or final would be a bonus. “That’s one way to look at it but there are so many other ways to look at it,” he said.
Without Malinga, strong efforts from Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas have become even more important. Jayawardene was confident his attack had what it took to dismantle the dangerous Australia batting line-up. “Australia are getting good starts and there hasn’t been that much emphasis on their middle order so that’s one area we’ll be thinking about,” he said.
McGrath, however, was confident that Australia’s own veterans - including himself, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting - would lift their game as the business-end of the event drew closer. “The next two weeks for us is the showcase time for the whole tournament,” he said. “Our senior players, who have been in World Cups before, I think that’s when you’ll see them stand up and start enjoying the tournament for what it is.”
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wc2007/content/current/story/290493.html

9

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

It seems that SA might beat Eng and get into semi final at 4th place. If SA loses then Eng has good chance of reaching semi final at 4th place on the table.

Even though in last few matches, NZ performed above par and SA performed below par, I still believe that SA is better and stronger side then NZ.

Obviously in such situation, the hardest semi final would be between No 1 and No 4 in the table (Unless Eng beat SA and reaches Semi final at No 4).

Now, it seems certain that Aus and SL match would decide the place at No 1. SL would play Aus on Monday. Eng would play SA on Tuesday. Thus, on Monday it would not be clear who would come at No 4.

If SL beats Aus, Aus would be certain to play NZ in semi final. If SL loses to Aus, SL would know that they would play NZ in semi final. Well, SL may win against Aus and can still let Aus hold No 1 position as they would try to keep their run rate low against Ireland. But Aus knowing that who would be at No 4 position, could lose against NZ, and would force SL at No 1 on the table.

Hence, if SL feel confident that they can beat any team as many times they play, then SL could try their best to win; else it would be better for SL to lose tomorrow. If SL wins, still they can manipulate themselves on 2nd place, that is if Aus beat NZ and SL did not increase their run rate substantially against Ireland.

If Aus feel confident that they can beat any team as many times they play, then Aus could try their best to win tomorrow; else it would be better for Aus to lose tomorrow. If Aus win tomorrow, they could not do much about heading the table (as it would not matter they beat NZ or lose to NZ).

SL has already made one of their main strike bowler grounded on pretext of injury (though I believe that if it was final, Malinga would have played). Let see, what would happen tomorrow.

10

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

My Prediction:

Australia will win toss and elect to bat first:

Australia will score 300-330 runs

Sri Lanka will be all out by 280

11

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

Just curious, has any team won the world cup without losing any game?

12

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

AUS did in 2003.

Also I think WI did in 1979. Not sure though.

13

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

SL has to win this match otherwise mai cricket se sanyaas le lunga :no:

14

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

Malinga isnt playing and hes the only guy i think would have troubled the Aussie batting...Murlis record against them is far from sparkling and neither is Vaas's...They dont have the firepower to trouble the Aussie batsmen...

Their biggest hope is to win the toss and bat cos so far in this world cup i cant think of any team that has chased a big score...

Sangakkara has been a bit quiet and hes gonna need to turn up today...

15

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

In absence of Malings, Sri Lanka lacks that extra edge, which otherwise they have.

...Aussies are too strong to predict anything against them

16

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

I think this will be a good game and Australia may just edge it.

17

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

This should be a hum dinger of a match...a really exciting one.
Golden Asif:
I have the same feeling. I would actually want SL to loose today but fighting it out so that they can learn and beat Aussies in Final.
Naughty:
I think Murali will play an important role here. Conditions are normally suiting him, unless the game today gets a green seaming wicket. Then SL will miss Malinga definitely.

18

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

ur right. It should be a tight match. However Aussies can prove how they are really in a seperate league altogether.

19

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

Australia are truly in another league, but atleast we know SL can compete
should be a close match

20

Re: 16 April 2007 - Australia v Sri Lanka

The toss:
Ricky Ponting flipped, Mahela Jayawardene called heads, won, and decided to have a bat. He wants to make first use of the pitch.

Sri Lanka have rested Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan. Australia have recalled Nathan Bracken in place of Stuart Clark.

*Australia team *
AC Gilchrist, ML Hayden, RT Ponting, MJ Clarke, A Symonds, MEK Hussey, BJ Hodge, GB Hogg, NW Bracken, SW Tait, GD McGrath

*Sri Lanka team *
WU Tharanga, ST Jayasuriya, KC Sangakkara, DPMD Jayawardene, LPC Silva, TM Dilshan, RP Arnold, MF Maharoof, KMDN Kulasekara, CM Bandara, CRD Fernando