***Official*** Australia in Sri Lanka

[Spark]

It's been quite a long break, eh?

===

Tour fixtures

August 6: 1st T20, Pallekele
August 8: 2nd T20, Pallekele

August 10: 1st ODI, Pallekele
August 14: 2nd ODI, Hambantota
August 16: 3rd ODI, Hambantota
August 20: 4th ODI, Colombo
August 22: 5th ODI, Colombo

August 31-September 4: 1st Test, Galle
September 8-12: 2nd Test, Pallekele
September 16-20: 3rd Test, Colombo

 

[vcs]

Should be awesome. Really looking forward to this. Been a long time since Australia were in SL.

 

[Spark]

Yeah, before Clarke had debuted. Ponting the only one with Test experience there, which is alarming.

 

[vcs]

Yeah, before Clarke had debuted. Ponting the only one with Test experience there, which is alarming.

The 2004 series was awesome.. Warne, Murali, Gilchrist, Martyn were all brilliant.

 

[Rush]

It's been quite a long break, eh?

===

Tour fixtures

August 6: 1st T20, Pallekele
August 8: 2nd T20, Pallekele

August 10: 1st ODI, Pallekele
August 14: 2nd ODI, Hambantota
August 16: 3rd ODI, Hambantota
August 20: 4th ODI, Colombo
August 22: 5th ODI, Colombo

August 31-September 4: 1st Test, Galle
September 8-12: 2nd Test, Pallekele
September 16-20: 3rd Test, Colombo

The Oz batsman should bukkake over the Sri Lankan bowling attack two high scoring draws and a win for Australia I see in the tests. ODI should be a lot closer but you never know after Sri Lanka's 'performance' a couple days ago.

 

[Rush]

The 2004 series was awesome.. Warne, Murali, Gilchrist, Martyn were all brilliant.

Wow Murali took 28 @ 23, Warne took 26@ 20, in a three match series. ****ing hell!

 

[Spark]

Yeah I gotta admit I feel far more optimistic about this tour than I did, say, five-six months ago.

 

[Howe_zat]

Odds on Katich being in the touring squad?

 

[vcs]

Wow Murali took 28 @ 23, Warne took 26@ 20, in a three match series. ****ing hell!

Yeah.. that was the only series we saw them face off with both being close to their respective best. Wonder if Rob has uploaded any highlights from that series, haven't found anything on youtube.

 

[TumTum]

It's still 2 months away

 

[Furball]

Yeah I gotta admit I feel far more optimistic about this tour than I did, say, five-six months ago.

Has seeing Sri Lanka's bowling.'attack' in England contributed to that increased optimism?

 

[Spark]

It's quite a large factor. I expected them to be poor, but...

 

[Howe_zat]

Their spinners will do much, much better on their own turf.

 

[vcs]

Their spinners will do much, much better on their own turf.

Agreed. I certainly expect Randiv to do a decent job (provided they play him!). Not sure about Mendis though.

 

[Spark]

It's still 2 months away

Yeah the reason I decided to start this so early is so basically the "Test batting lineup/order debate" which kinda was left off unfinished after the Ashes can go here and get some mileage before the squads are announced, which I suspect won't be for another three-four weeks or so at the earliest. Especially since no one really managed to agree on what the lineup should be, and the new conditions with Clarke captain and no Katich.

 

[Bun]

jeebus, how many months it will be without cricket for aus when they star this tour????

 

[Furball]

jeebus, how many months it will be without cricket for aus when they star this tour????

Four, although it will be 8 months without Test cricket by the time the first Test rolls around.

Tends to happen in the aftermath of a home Ashes series for the crims, iirc they had no Test cricket for 10 months after 06/07.

 

[Furball]

Yeah the reason I decided to start this so early is so basically the "Test batting lineup/order debate" which kinda was left off unfinished after the Ashes can go here and get some mileage before the squads are announced, which I suspect won't be for another three-four weeks or so at the earliest. Especially since no one really managed to agree on what the lineup should be, and the new conditions with Clarke captain and no Katich.

Hughes
Cosgrove
Watson
Khawaja
Clarke
Hussey
Paine
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle
Bollinger

is how I'd go.

 

[vcs]

Hughes
Cosgrove
Watson
Khawaja
Clarke
Hussey
Paine
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle
Bollinger

is how I'd go.

That's a bit... radical, isn't it?

 

[Furball]

That's a bit... radical, isn't it?

The only radical suggestion is dropping Ponting. Which will never happen, but at some point it's going to have to be done.