Testing time for the Aussies
ABIG OPENING victory, a washout, a one-wicket loss and a win of record proportions; Australia’s World Cup so far has been anything but consistent.
Michael Clarke’s line-up will have to get everything right against 1996 champions Sri Lanka today to make sure their path to the final doesn’t include another detour to New Zealand.
With both teams expected to reach the quarters, this match is about placings in the pool. A loss for Australia could mean a semi-final in Auckland, New Zealand – if the four-time champions advance that far.
“The result will play a huge role in who we play in the quarter-finals,” Clarke said. “Sri Lanka are high on confidence. They’ve been playing good cricket, scoring a lot of runs. The players know where we stand – we don’t need to talk about it.”
Sri Lanka has had three straight wins since losing to New Zealand in the tournament opener, and are coming off a nine-wicket win over England when they chased down 310 with three overs to spare.
Kumar Sangakkara posted his second century in as many matches in that win, and shared a big partnership with Lahiru Thirimanne.
Veterans Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are playing their last World Cup and, after losing finals to Australia in 2007 and to India in 2011, they’re determined to go one better. Sri Lanka has not beaten Australia at a World Cup since the 1996 final, but has a good record in Sydney.
Australia will be without paceman Pat Cummins, who has a side strain and will miss at least two games. It is a similar problem to that suffered by all-rounder Andrew Faulkner, who followed captain Clarke on to the injured list.
Sri Lanka have also had their share of injuries, with batsman Dimth Karunaratne ruled out of the tournament and replaced by leg-spinner Seek-kuge Prasanna, and Ren- gana Herath expected to miss the Sydney match.
Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews expected spin to play a big part in Sydney, meaning Prasanna may be brought into the starting line-up.
“They’ve got about seven right-handers, so he comes into play,” Mathews said.
Australia spinner Xavier Doherty is likely to get his first start of the tournament as replacement for Cummins.
All-rounder Shane Watson was dropped for the previous match against Afghanistan and is likely to miss out again.
Australia is too aware of the damage Sangakkara can do if he gets going. He averages 42 in 45 ODIs against Australia, and has tallied his 13 961 ODI runs at a similar average.
“He’s as good as any player I’ve played against,” Clarke said. “He’s a wonderful batsman – his statistics show that in both Test and one-day cricket.”
While Clarke was happy to give an opinion on the strengths in the Sri Lanka team, Sangakkara was focusing inward.
He said Australia was “one of the top teams in the tournament... we will play as the underdogs,” he said.
“There’s no use thinking too much about the strengths of the Australian side. It’s better for us to look at ourselves.”
Meanwhile, seamer Alex Cusack took two wickets in three balls in the final over as Ireland knocked Zimbabwe out of the World Cup with a thrilling five-run win in their Pool B match at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart yesterday.
The African side, chasing Ireland’s total of 331 for eight, were bowled out for 326 with three balls remaining, to become the first Test-playing nation to be ruled out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals.
With Zimbabwe needing just seven runs in the last over, Cusack (4-32) took wickets with his first and third balls.
Brendan Taylor (121), leading Zimbabwe in place of injured captain Elton Chigumbura, hit his seventh one-day international hundred and combined in a 159-run stand with Sean Williams (96), but their efforts were not enough.
Ed Joyce hit his first World Cup century while Andy Balbirnie contributed 97 to help Ireland to their total after they were put in to batt. – Reuters