 |
| |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Australia vs. Sri Lanka: Tactical analysis Posted: Monday March 17, 2003 8:05 AMUpdated: Monday March 17, 2003 8:18 AM PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (Reuters) -- Australia and Sri Lanka seem certain to adopt directly contrasting approaches Tuesday. Australia want a quick pitch, a quick game and a quick finish. Sri Lanka would favor a slower, true track, and a long game. The onus may be on skipper Sanath Jayasuriya to try something new after losing by 96 runs against Australia at Centurion 10 days ago. AUSTRALIA BOWLING, SRI LANKA BATTING:When bowling, Australia will rely heavily on Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath to bowl straight and fast and to take early wickets. A disciplined bowling line will be crucial. They will look to tuck up the Sri Lankan strokemakers, and the strong-forearmed Jayasuriya in particular, who is magnificent when offered any width. Jayasuriya can expect a barrage of Lee deliveries aimed at his ribcage (and at that left forearm which Lee almost broke in their last meeting). Ricky Ponting will attack constantly, with test match slip cordons for as long as possible. When batting, Sri Lanka has two options. It could try to curb its nstincts, as it did in the teams' last meeting, and try to survive the early onslaught before hitting back later. It almost managed that at Centurion, losing Jayasuriya through injury but reaching a cautious 42 without loss in the 10th over. Then Lee and McGrath combined to take four wickets for six runs and finish the game. Chasing 320 to win, there was no way back. The other Sri Lankan option could be to go back to its high-risk, pinch-hitting roots in an attempt to disrupt the Australians. Aravinda de Silva's cavalier run-a-ball 92, although in a losing cause, might prompt Jayasuriya to try such a tactic early on. De Silva, caution thrown to the wind, hit 27 off Lee in his final two overs at Centurion, including two sixes and two fours. Jayasuriya is too important to risk in such a venture but Sri Lanka might be willing to sacrifice a pinch-hitter -- as it did so successfully in winning the trophy in 1996 -- to try and change the mood. Chaminda Vaas to open? SRI LANKA BOWLING, AUSTRALIA BATTING:Australia fears Vaas's left-arm seamers and Muttiah Muralitharan's off spin. At Centurion, it was determined not to lose wickets to Vaas while targeting fellow opening bowler Pulasthi Gunaratne -- he went for 27 off four overs before being withdrawn. It then pressured the support bowling of de Silva and Jayasuriya, forcing the Sri Lankans to turn repeatedly to Muralitharan to staunch the run flow. Ponting will hope that Muralitharan's overs will already have been eaten up with the last 10 overs beckoning, opening the way for a big attack. At Centurion, the Australian strategy was so successful that it scored at six an over throughout and did not have to rely on a final 10-over sprint. Sri Lanka's last significant success against Australia came in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal in Colombo in September and it seems certain to follow a similar approach if possible. Gunaratne and Vaas were hit out of the attack by Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden as 42 came off five overs but Jayasuriya managed to slow down the game, his spinners taking the pace off the ball. The next five overs cost 13 runs, with both openers dismissed. De Silva then totally frustrated the world champion by bowling 10 overs, taking one for 16, to throttle the innings. Muralitharan, used in a string of short spells, ended with three wickets for 26. Another slow pitch -- Centurion did not offer Sri Lanka such a luxury -- and the tactic could work again. Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
|
|||||||||
| |||||||||||
