Troubled Sri Lanka arrive in Australia

Canberra: Staring at a string of losses, weighed down by history and missing key personnel, Sri Lanka arrive in Australia giving their best impression of lambs to the slaughter.

On Saturday, the Lions crossed the Tasman, reflecting on a disastrous tour of New Zealand, offering few glimmers of hope they’d push Australia in a two-Test series.

The tour ended on an appropriate note, capitulating in a run chase to lose the oneoff Twenty20 international by 35 runs on Friday night at Eden Park. Exasperated T20 skipper Lasith Malinga says his team are still learning to win games when they get into good positions, an issue that had plagued them in all formats in New Zealand. Hamstrung by a brittle batting line-up and a blunt seam attack, they were swept 3-0 by the Black Caps in the one-day international series and went down 1-0 in the two-Test series before Christmas. -Sydney Morning Herald