Australia v Sri Lanka; 2nd Test @ Manuka Oval Feb 1-5.

[Wedge McManus]

Can we all agree that for the purposes of assessing Ashes touring squad that the results in the first innings of this match should be discounted by 50% and those in the second innings by 100%?? Don’t get much softer Test cricket than this...

I'm not sure if we're allowed to criticise Sri Lanka here. Their biggest fans here won't allow it. They will find an excuse for everything they do. In fact it's really best you don't criticise any subcontinent team as 90%of people here aren't Australia supporters they just pretend to be

 

[mouncey2franklin]

Fernando appears to be a bunny.

 

[PhatBoy]

I have probably forgotten but when has Sri Lanka ever been much chop playing Test cricket in Australia? Plus this is a weakened side.

They’ve had their moments individually but never had the team to succeed here.
They drew a test at the Gabba in 1990 on the back of a big hundred from Aravinda, from memory Asanka Gurusinha (Melbourne) and Jayasuriya (Adelaide) both hit hundreds during the Murali no-ball tour in 95-96 but they got beaten pretty comfortably.

They drew a test in Cairns during the top end series 12 or 13 years back when Attapattu hit a ton but they were probably lucky to get it.

Sanga hit that hundred in Bellerive when they were chasing a million before he was given out caught behind when he may as well have picked the ball up and thrown it to the fielder for all the bat that was on it.

They still needed nearly 100 at that point though.

Most of australia’s wins have been by more than 100 runs or a heap of wickets.
They simply haven’t ever had an attack capable of taking 20 wickets here.

Unless you count the likes of Ratnayake from their 89-90 tour (and he was pants) the only decent quicks they’ve ever had are Malinga and Vaasy and Malinga wasn’t even that good.

 

[Westend]

well played lads good to see

well done starc on 10 wickets...under the pump he stood up....great effort

 

[jackster83]

I have probably forgotten but when has Sri Lanka ever been much chop playing Test cricket in Australia? Plus this is a weakened side.

They put up a decent fight in Hobart a few years back. IIRC they copped a horrible decision against Sangakkara who was nearing a double hundred.

 

[PhatBoy]

I'm not sure if we're allowed to criticise Sri Lanka here. Their biggest fans here won't allow it. They will find an excuse for everything they do. In fact it's really best you don't criticise any subcontinent team as 90%of people here aren't Australia supporters they just pretend to be

Everyone has criticised them relentlessly - with decent reason as they’ve been hopeless - as they have Pakistan during the SA series.

 

[PT Bar None]

10 wickets for Starc. Good on him for doing that. Wickets is better than no wickets. So that's a good thing.

Time in the middle for a few batters. So that's a good thing.

We got to see how new chum Richardson will go on a flat deck in hottish conditions. So that's a good thing.

And we won a Test and a series. So that's a good thing.

 

[Scotland]

I have probably forgotten but when has Sri Lanka ever been much chop playing Test cricket in Australia? Plus this is a weakened side.

They came close to winning a test in 2007 when Sangakkara was robbed of a second innings 200 by a Rudi Koertzen shocker.

But yeah they've only beaten us 4 times ever and 3 of those wins came from our 2016 tour there.

 

[PhatBoy]

They came close to winning a test in 2007 when Sangakkara was robbed of a second innings 200 by a Rudi Koertzen shocker.

But yeah they've only beaten us 4 times ever and 3 of those wins came from our 2016 tour there.

Other one was the Gillespie-Waugh collision series in 1999 wasn’t it?

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Poor Sri Lanka, now they're headed to South Africa. I hate to think what the Saffies will do to them.

 

[Scotland]

Other one was the Gillespie-Waugh collision series in 1999 wasn’t it?

Yep, 1-0 series win to them.

 

[PhatBoy]

Yep, 1-0 series win to them.

Only defeat Australia suffered to someone other than India between 92-93 and the 05 Ashes iirc

 

[Wedge McManus]

Everyone has criticised them relentlessly - with decent reason as they’ve been hopeless - as they have Pakistan during the SA series.

Im just looking for some fight from them mate. Just a spark of life to inject some competition into the contest the way your blokes are taking it to England right now. Getting off the plane but leaving their competitive spirit on it does no one any good. Us big footers will be the only people watching these series soon

 

[PhatBoy]

Poor Sri Lanka, now they're headed to South Africa. I hate to think what the Saffies will do to them.

I hope for their sake they get Mathews back. There is no excuse for he, Chandimal and Mendis not to get runs.

 

[PhatBoy]

Poor Sri Lanka, now they're headed to South Africa. I hate to think what the Saffies will do to them.

I hope for their sake they get Mathews back.

 

[PhatBoy]

Im just looking for some fight for them mate. Just a spark of life to inject some competition into the contest the way your blokes are taking it to England right now

I agree mate, they’ve been pathetic. Their bowling has been very understrrngth and no Mathews with the bat has hurt. But the top order has been hopeless, undoubtedly.

 

[Wedge McManus]

I agree mate, they’ve been pathetic. Their bowling has been very understrrngth and no Mathews with the bat has hurt. But the top order has been hopeless, undoubtedly.

Good man. Credit where credit is due and criticism when it's due too. That's balanced and fair. I will rip Australia to pieces when we give up overseas, which hopefully won't be in the ashes this year

 

[PhatBoy]

Good man. Credit where credit is due and criticism when it's due too. That's balanced and fair. I will rip Australia to pieces when we give up overseas, which hopefully won't be in the ashes this year

And on the flip side Australia can only play who they’re up against. Starc’s first innings wickets were nothing special but he bowled very well today. Head has batted extremely well too.

 

[Wedge McManus]

And on the flip side Australia can only play who they’re up against. Starc’s first innings wickets were nothing special but he bowled very well today. Head has batted extremely well too.

You reckon starc has sold his pie shop now? Or maybe gone into shared ownership with Ben cutting? Reckon I saw less pies from him this test??

 

[worbod]

Did you know, you can't spell LABUSCHAGNE without LASAGNE.

 

[Moonwatcher]

Did you know, you can't spell LABUSCHAGNE without LASAGNE.

This means something.

 

[t_94]

Nice interview with Greg Chappell at lunch. What a magnificent batsman that man was. Interesting to hear him speak of the mental part of batting, something we don't address anywhere near enough IMHO.

Magnificent batsman terrible coach / administrator / development coach

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Fernando appears to be a bunny.

What lasted longer? Fernando at the crease, or the Sri Lankan national anthem?

 

[Park cricketer]

Well done to Australia, good to see the smiles back. It's a very likeable team actually and this is going to be a good personal boost for a lot of players. I thought Head was the standout performer with the bat during the entire summer, I'm still not yet entirely convinced about his technique, still feel he plays a lot with his hands more than his feet and is prone to playing across the line but what he lacks with his technique, he makes up with his mental strength and he has a very strong temperament. If he is scoring runs, then who am I to doubt him and legends like Steve Waugh probably didn't have the best of techniques, but he still was hugely successful with his strong temperament and mental fortitude. And test cricket is anyway more a 80% mental game and 20% technical game imo, so Head starts in the Ashes line up for me.

Well done to Starc, like I always said, he is a bowler who is hugely effective on flat wickets and unhelpful tracks far more than a juicy wicket with a lot of moisture in it. If the Australian team management were clever, they would play Starc in the matches at London where wickets tend to be on the flatter side (although Lords has offered help to bowlers in the past few matches) and be replaced by Richardson at Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, etc., where bowlers who genuinely swing the ball and accurate seam bowlers do well. However I don't think this will happen and Starc will most likely share the new ball with Hazlewood at Edgbaston. Cummins was a superstar throughout the entire summer and I've been hugely impressed with the young Richardson and if it were upto me, I'll have both sharing the new cherry at Edgbaston.

As for Sri Lanka, they have had tough tours to NZ and Australia now and then head to South Africa where it's not going to be easy at all. They are yet to win a test match in either Australia or India and while the team is probably lacking in experience and missing Mathews, I'm not sure how long one can use the excuse of a young team since Sanga and Mahela retired long ago and the likes of Chandimal, Karunaratne, Thirimanne are fairly experienced as well. Their administration is mired in controversies and their sports minister apparently is going to sack their coach and has the final power to give okay to the selected team before any tour which is ridiculous. I don't see any reason for a government official to interfere with the cricket administration but that's the way it has always been in Sri Lanka and unless they address these core issues, they will continue in their slump which is a bit unfortunate frankly.

 

[Stax on the mill]

Mitchell Starc currently has the best strike rate in Australian cricket history for bowlers with >200 wickets.

49.9!

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...=wickets;team=2;template=results;type=bowling

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Thanks for that Alyssa. I was unaware.