One day at a time fellas

AUSTRALIA’S captain Steve Smith has set his side the goal of batting for a full day’s play in the third Test, which starts today.

For a team that scored 106 and 183 and faced a total of 83.3 overs in last week’s second Test in Galle, that’s going to be quite a challenge against Sri Lanka’s spin attack.

Especially when the skipper is already talking about how the pitch in Colombo will take turn from day one.

And how Sri Lanka’s veteran spinner Rangana Herath can bowl the same ball in the same spot and some will turn and some won’t, depending on the natural variations of the pitch.

“Looking at the wicket it is going to be another tough one to bat,” Smith said yesterday.

“It looks like it is going to be pretty dry again.

“So you have to be proactive in the way you play. If you just sit there and try to defend all day, one is eventually going to have your name on it.

“You’ve almost have to re- invent your game to be successful on these surfaces.

“In Australia, you don’t get balls that are turning like they are here and skidding on. Everything’s pretty consistent.

“So it’s finding a way and getting outside your comfort zone. It might be about sweeping or coming down the wicket or getting deep in your crease.

“So if you can bat for a day, I dare say you will put yourself in a reasonable position.”

After losing 36 wickets to Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers in defeats in Kandy and Galle, Smith has told his batsmen to play some shots before an unplayable delivery inevitably comes.

“We’re going to hopefully play with a little bit more freedom and courage and be willing to take the game on to hopefully get ahead of the game,” said Smith, who is the only Aussie batsman to score a half-century in the series.

“And the name of the game is to score runs, so you’ve got to try to get a few before you get out.”

Smith echoed the thoughts of coach Darren Lehmann as he urged his inexperienced side to cope better with the intensity of Test cricket.

“Sometimes it’s easy to do in the nets and when you get out in the middle there are guys around the bat, there’s the pressure of the game,” Smith said. “It’s just having the courage and faith to sometimes take a risk.”

Smith says his batsmen haven’t scored enough runs and his spinners Nathan Lyon and debutant Jon Holland, who claimed six victims between them in Galle, haven’t taken enough wickets.

“Whatever we’re doing we’re not doing it right,” Smith said.

Australia is yet to name a team. Shaun Marsh is pushing for a recall as top-order duo Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns struggle.