Test 2nd Test Sri Lanka v Australia 8-12 July 2022 @ Galle

[corbies]

First ball: 2:30pm AEST

We're back for the 2nd and deciding Test of the series. Australia won the 1st Test with a convincing 10 wicket win on the back of their spinners and it looks like it will need to be more of the same if they are to win the 2nd.

If they can win (or draw) the 2nd Test it will be the first time they've won 2 series in a row on the subcontinent since India 04/05 into Bangladesh 06. A win would also go a long way to getting them a berth in the World Test Championship final given India's loss to England during the week.

Australia have released a match squad of 12 with the only question being whether Mitchell Starc is maintained or whether another dusty track result in the return of Glenn Maxwell as a 3rd spinner batting at no.8. If it is Maxwell it will be his first test since the 2nd Test of the tour of Bangladesh in 2017. A match he hit the winning runs in.

Australia (updated): 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (c), 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Mitchell Swepson

Sri Lanka will have at least 4 changes with Lasith Embuldeniya dropped from the squad after going wicketless in the first test as well as Dhanajaya De Silva, Asitha Fernando and Jeffrey Vandersay having all test positive for COVID. Their captain Dimuth Karunaratne said the rest of the squad still need to test negative on a RAT before they can play. I have no idea which spinners will play so I've just taken a stab at the below:

Sri Lanka (updated): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne (c), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Ramindu Mendis , 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Prabath Jayasuriya, 11 Kasun Rajitha

 

[the_interloper]

Can't wait for play to start, pissing rain here so should be a great afternoon! I do hope they play Maxwell to be honest, in lieu of an actual third spinner that's a great way to go (plus he might be handy if we're chasing a declaration target)

 

[4Seasons]

Can't wait for play to start, pissing rain here so should be a great afternoon! I do hope they play Maxwell to be honest, in lieu of an actual third spinner that's a great way to go (plus he might be handy if we're chasing a declaration target)

I’m looking forward to the first post that says the pitch is a ‘road’ from a carpet cricketer saying the game will be a draw.
Then I look forward to hearing how International cricketers are ‘crabs’

Should be a solid game though..I’m sure our side and players will be abused from high heaven however the game unfolds.

 

[My_Username]

Their captain Simuth Karunaratne said the rest of the squad still need to test negative on a RAT before they can play.

How many more failed tests before the game is cancelled/rescheduled?

 

[John Smith92]

Can't wait for play to start, pissing rain here so should be a great afternoon! I do hope they play Maxwell to be honest, in lieu of an actual third spinner that's a great way to go (plus he might be handy if we're chasing a declaration target)

Forecast looks reasonable apart from Sunday. If this pitch is anything like the last there'll definitely be a result one way or the other. I feel like it would be in SL's best interest to prepare a more conventional subcontinent style pitch where it starts good for batting and then falls apart on days 4 and 5, because you'd think Matthews, Karunaratne and Chandimal will have the most experience for either side in constructing an innings in those conditions. I reckon it's almost easier for the Aussie batsmen on a rank turner because they can stick to a single plan for their whole innings with no fear of failure, and know that a quick 50+ will likely be match winning.

 

[swingdog]

Forecast looks reasonable apart from Sunday. If this pitch is anything like the last there'll definitely be a result one way or the other. I feel like it would be in SL's best interest to prepare a more conventional subcontinent style pitch where it starts good for batting and then falls apart on days 4 and 5, because you'd think Matthews, Karunaratne and Chandimal will have the most experience for either side in constructing an innings in those conditions. I reckon it's almost easier for the Aussie batsmen on a rank turner because they can stick to a single plan for their whole innings with no fear of failure, and know that a quick 50+ will likely be match winning.

Point was made on a podcast that perhaps the reason they prepare rank turners from day one is that playing tests there this time of year means you're unlikely to finish 5 days with the weather.

 

[t_94]

I’m looking forward to the first post that says the pitch is a ‘road’ from a carpet cricketer saying the game will be a draw.
Then I look forward to hearing how International cricketers are ‘crabs’

Should be a solid game though..I’m sure our side and players will be abused from high heaven however the game unfolds.

‘ Carpet cricketer’ hahahaha that is such a good line.

 

[My_Username]

Point was made on a podcast that perhaps the reason they prepare rank turners from day one is that playing tests there this time of year means you're unlikely to finish 5 days with the weather.

Could be, but you'd still likely aim for a pitch that would get a result in 4 rather than 2-3...even if only for the gate takings.

Still, good to see them aiming for a result either way after the Pakistani roads.

 

[Rabish Binney]

I just read on-line about the situation in Sri Lanka. The Government has defaulted on loan payments and is now effectively 'bankrupt'

Apparently for the recent ODI's, the light towers were powered by generators as they couldn't trust the electricity supply....

Hope the test can afford some sort of distraction to the chaos for the Sri Lankan people like the ODI's did.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

I just read on-line about the situation in Sri Lanka. The Government has defaulted on loan payments and is now effectively 'bankrupt'

Apparently for the recent ODI's, the light towers were powered by generators as they couldn't trust the electricity supply....

Hope the test can afford some sort of distraction to the chaos for the Sri Lankan people like the ODI's did.

I've got a fair few mates from cricket who have gone back home to visit family right now and they've never seen anything like it, even at the height of the LTTE war and also the JVP insurrection that went on concurrently in those times. I can only take it to be true when they say in those dark times, and at this dark time, cricket really does provide something of an outlet. Look at that passion during the ODI series, crowd and players.

The situation is crying shame. It really is buggered on the ground there. This is solely because the Rajapakses and their cronies have held power since becoming massively popular with the majority of the electorate on the back of them annihilating the Tamil Tigers in 2009. The majority also cheered on the ethnic cleansing of Tamils that occurred in the north of the island post civil war.

They'd always been shifty corrupt campaigners but this allowed them to go into overdrive, pretty much stashing much of the national treasury which came from things like profits from state owned enterprises and taxes. They thought they were very clever in stashing the revenue away for their own use, all the while taking out loans left right and centre to keep the economy and country running.

Before COVID, Sri Lanka had a booming tourism industry, one of the fastest growing in the world. A beautiful island of contrasts that had been hidden away apart from reports of suicide bombings and massacres. As well as general revenue coming in, this kept hard currency reserves up. All of a sudden, gone. Additionally of course with COVID, lenders start wanting their money back. Sri Lanka now can't pay it which is how we end up where we are today.

Also, it is very easy to absorb all the reports that base this on predatory lending by China. Debt to China is only 8 percent of the total debt, at a much lower interest rate than Japan has on their 21 percent. The blame lays solely on the Rajapakses. They need to be overthrown, but that won't happen, the army is still fiercely loyal to them. Anyway back to cricket...Sri Lanka to win handily and tie the series.

 

[11kgm]

******* picking Starc the useless campaigner

 

[My_Username]

I just read on-line about the situation in Sri Lanka. The Government has defaulted on loan payments and is now effectively 'bankrupt'

Apparently for the recent ODI's, the light towers were powered by generators as they couldn't trust the electricity supply....

Hope the test can afford some sort of distraction to the chaos for the Sri Lankan people like the ODI's did.

They're doing well to get the generators working.

Apparently they don't get any oil shipments any more because they can't be trusted to pay for them, at least, not in hard currency, so (among other things) the transport system is grinding to a halt.

It's all pretty dire.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

******* picking Starc the useless campaigner

Expected

 

[danielnajdek]

Pretty stupid to pick Starc on a raging turner.

 

[frankrizzo]

******* picking Starc the useless campaigner

Sounds like green isnt fit to bowl so they really have to pick starc.

 

[11kgm]

Expected

Starcs 10 or so overs will be needed heavily

 

[11kgm]

Sounds like green isnt fit to bowl so they really have to pick starc.

Damn it, he had one job

 

[Mkcaptain]

What was the point in announcing the 12 yesterday and getting my hopes up again that Maxy might get a game?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Starcs 10 or so overs will be needed heavily

Never know I’d rather have two frontline quicks how many spinners do you want we have 4!

 

[My_Username]

What was the point in announcing the 12 yesterday and getting my hopes up again that Maxy might get a game?

You answered your own question.

What was the point in announcing the 12 yesterday?
Getting my hopes up again that Maxy might get a game!

 

[LukeParkerno1]

What was the point in announcing the 12 yesterday and getting my hopes up again that Maxy might get a game?

Paddy being awesome and trolling everyone! Pat for PM

 

[11kgm]

Never know I’d rather have two frontline quicks how many spinners do you want we have 4!

Maxwell adds some more batting, fielding, and let's be honest you only need one quick on this deck

 

[Westend]

Batting good

lets hope all day

 

[Voice of the G]

Maxwell adds some more batting, fielding, and let's be honest you only need one quick on this deck

If Maxwell is to play test cricket in India it is Head he would have to replace.I would have considered Boland before Starc but hopefully Starc produces the goods and proves me wrong.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Maxwell adds some more batting, fielding, and let's be honest you only need one quick on this deck

Not as if Starc can’t bat he’s more than handy.