**Official** Australia in Sri Lanka Jan - Feb 2025

[Prince EWS]

While bringing in R Mendis has strengthened the batting, it's weakened the bowling. I can see why SL replaced him with Peiris, even if the latter looked utterly innocuous last test. The fact that DDS and Kamindu have also wheeled down offices makes it an even more inexplicable selection.

Mendis bowls good balls semi-regularly, much better than the equivalent Peiris balls, but he's always basically considered himself a batsman despite his good FC bowling record. He's basically Sri Lankan Moeen.

They really should have just dropped Peiris instead of Vandersay though. It's weird how they went with it.

 

[morgieb]

Fantastic innings, and a huge **** you to anyone questioning his spot after the Inglis innings last Test and a middling BGT.

 

[Starfighter]

The lack of runs between stage and midwicket (except for one six) is pretty remarkable for an innings that size, though i don't think Carey's ever scored much in that area.

 

[social]

Carey’s test batting record is perfectly acceptable but really doesn’t do justice to his talent

 

[Qlder]

Carey now only the 2nd Aussie Keeper to score a hundred batting 5 or higher.

The other, Gilchrist scored 101* batting 5 and 144 batting 3

 

[Spark]

Omg he's almost done a Kohli

 

[Starfighter]

Mendis bowls good balls semi-regularly, much better than the equivalent Peiris balls, but he's always basically considered himself a batsman despite his good FC bowling record. He's basically Sri Lankan Moeen.

They really should have just dropped Peiris instead of Vandersay though. It's weird how they went with it.

He's been picked as a bowler in all his tests though. And except for a couple earlier on he hasn't really bowled any more dangerous balls than Peiris (who I also would have dropped). I thought Vandersay would probably be safe after his runs last test too.

 

[Spikey]

smashing tons, getting overseas tests back onto FTA. The People's Champion is back

 

[Qlder]

Since Head was replaced as Australia's #5, the replacements are averaging 211.00, just saying

 

[Darwin Award]

Carey has now lapped Smith..

 

[Spark]

Barely been able to watch a ball today, am I right in thinking the SL spinners are still far too slow? It's coming off the pitch so so slowly and it's giving Smith in particular aeons to adjust to any turn that might be there.

 

[Starfighter]

Barely been able to watch a ball today, am I right in thinking the SL spinners are still far too slow?

Yes. They've only hurried the batsmen when the ball was new.

 

[Gob]

smashing tons, getting overseas tests back onto FTA. The People's Champion is back

Fair to say things have turned around rather well for Estraya after Perth

 

[Prince EWS]

He's been picked as a bowler in all his tests though.

Yeah he's not really good enough for that but he's more useful for Peiris if Jayasuriya is going to bat 8 otherwise. Especially since I don't think Pieris is exactly good enough for that either.

 

[Spikey]

Since Head was replaced as Australia's #5, the replacements are averaging 211.00, just saying

let's get matthew wade back into #5

 

[BoyBrumby]

Flat pitch, then? Guardian reckons Smith has really been filling his boots:

 

[Spark]

Surely they have to have a better captain than Dhananjaya. This has been as poor and uninspired an on-field captaincy performance as I've seen across these two games

 

[IcarianStyles]

Who's the best wicket-keeper behind the stumps in subcontinent? Alex Carey or Adam Gilchrist?

 

[Gob]

Smitteh is impersonating Arjuna with his running between the wickets

 

[Prince EWS]

Who's the best wicket-keeper behind the stumps in subcontinent? Alex Carey or Adam Gilchrist?

It's clearly neither but assuming you mean "better" and not "best" then it's just as clearly Gilchrist.