***Official*** Australia in Sri Lanka

[Spark]

Third new ball... geez.

 

[robelinda]

I would not back us to bat out 5 sessions, when have we ever done that.....I cannot think of even one test in the least 30 years, and our batting form has been fairly **** for about 3 years now in terms of making anything like a massive score.

 

[adub]

Good tough grinding test cricket. Not very exciting to watch, but hard. Whilst the pitch is snoozing so that you don't have much to fear if you just play straight and within yourself it doesn't look like it's that easy to score if you pull the pace back a bit and keep a line. The fact none of the Lankans made it to triple figures is a testament to the bowlers not giving much away (even Johnson can be much more erratic than today).

Draw has to be the favourite as it doesn't look like the pitch is going to break up, but our batsmen will need to learn from Marsh and Huss and just drop anchor, leave the wide **** alone and present the maker's name. Do that and the home side will struggle to bowl us out, but if we bat like we have in the other innings this series we could well leave SL a getable chase on the fifth afternoon.

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

I would not back us to bat out 5 sessions, when have we ever done that.....I cannot think of even one test in the least 30 years, and our batting form has been fairly **** for about 3 years now in terms of making anything like a massive score.

It's an absolute featherbed and unlikely to get worse even on days 4 and 5. With Mussey, Punter, Clarke, Marsh and others in the lineup, surely batting out five sessions is not a huge challenge. They need to apply themselves a lot better than they did in the first innings though.

 

[uvelocity]

I would not back us to bat out 5 sessions, when have we ever done that.....I cannot think of even one test in the least 30 years, and our batting form has been fairly **** for about 3 years now in terms of making anything like a massive score.

We only need to bat 3.75 at an acceptable clip to tip it near enough to beyond SL (depending on SL RR in the AM)

Matthews really should be going the tonk in the morning. Missed a trick by not going after tired, sapped, downcast aussie bowlers at the end of the day.

 

[adub]

Third new ball... geez.

How often are you taking the third ball and only facing 420-430 against you though? Unless they think they can bat until tea and get a 250odd lead to win by an innings the home side is just making it easier for us to save. I'd never underestimate our ability to collapse in a screaming heap, but with no real impetus to chase the game I reckon we can get rid of the dumb outs and bat time on this deck.

 

[iamdavid]

It's an absolute featherbed and unlikely to get worse even on days 4 and 5. With Mussey, Punter, Clarke, Marsh and others in the lineup, surely batting out five sessions is not a huge challenge. They need to apply themselves a lot better than they did in the first innings though.

Disagree. I know it's very flat, but Watson, Ponting and Clarke haven't shown any capacity for patience in quite some time and Hughes looks like a walking wicket at the moment. Plus the humidity here is completely foreign to all our players, they're all pretty visibly affected by it which I can't imagine is going to help enhance their staying powers. If Marsh and or Hussey aren't able to dig in then I think we're going to be in big trouble here.

 

[uvelocity]

I would not back us to bat out 5 sessions, when have we ever done that.....I cannot think of even one test in the least 30 years, and our batting form has been fairly **** for about 3 years now in terms of making anything like a massive score.

also Team records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Migara]

Mathews is showing what he's actually capable of. He should settle himself for this game on SC wickets. Faster bouncier wickets, he may show his full repertoire of strokes. Batting him at #6 is a disgrace. Ideally, he should be #5 with Dilshan at #6. Dilshan's care free game suits him there than others.

 

[Ruckus]

If our batsmen can't put together a score of at least 400 on this road, against what is essentially a pretty mediocre attack, then I will probably bring out the noose.

 

[adub]

We only need to bat 3.75 at an acceptable clip to tip it near enough to beyond SL (depending on SL RR in the AM)

Matthews really should be going the tonk in the morning. Missed a trick by not going after tired, sapped, downcast aussie bowlers at the end of the day.

We're very unlikely to need to bat all the way to stumps day 5 to save it. The 132 overs we batted at Pallekele for 7 down should be more than enough. If they can roll us for under 300 we're in trouble, but it wouldn't take too much more than that to make the game safe. If we're still batting after tea Day 5 it's pretty unlikely to be anything other than a draw.

 

[uvelocity]

If our top 3 batsmen can't put together a score of at least 400 on this road, against what is essentially a pretty mediocre attack, then I will probably bring out the noose.

.

If we're still batting after tea Day 5 it's pretty unlikely to be anything other than a draw.

That's what I'm saying. SL need to stop batting around lunch tomorrow no matter what. We need to bat to drinks or a bit after in the 2nd session tomorrow.

 

[Spark]

How often are you taking the third ball and only facing 420-430 against you though? Unless they think they can bat until tea and get a 250odd lead to win by an innings the home side is just making it easier for us to save. I'd never underestimate our ability to collapse in a screaming heap, but with no real impetus to chase the game I reckon we can get rid of the dumb outs and bat time on this deck.

Oh, I agree, but I'm just thinking about how insanely taxing this must be for the bowlers.

 

[BlazeDragon]

Match heading for a draw I guess. Its too bad Australia deserved to win at least 2-0.

 

[Athlai]

Series heading for a draw I guess. Its too bad Australia deserved to win at least 2-0.

... surely you mean 2-1?

 

[BlazeDragon]

... surely you mean 2-1?

Edited I meant match heading for a draw.

 

[Furball]

It's an absolute featherbed and unlikely to get worse even on days 4 and 5. With Mussey, Punter, Clarke, Marsh and others in the lineup, surely batting out five sessions is not a huge challenge. They need to apply themselves a lot better than they did in the first innings though.

I take it you didn't watch the Ashes where the Australian top order routinely struggled to put 300 on the board on decks where England's batsmen were racking up thousands of runs?

If Sri Lanka can get a lead of 200-250 around lunch tomorrow then it's game on.

 

[Jono]

Not getting this match heading for a draw comments. It's 50/50 draw or SL win imo.

Batting out draws over 1.5 days is not as easy as people are suggesting. Even if this deck is flat.

 

[Redbacks]

A good first session for Sri Lanka tomorrow and they are in a really strong position for the win. Can't see hope for an Australian win from here without a real quick collapse.

 

[BlazeDragon]

A good first session for Sri Lanka tomorrow and they are in a really strong position for the win. Can't see hope for an Australian win from here without a real quick collapse.

Watson needs to get one of his ODI style tons if they are even thinking of winning.