***Official*** Sri Lanka in Australia

[JASON]

Sri Lanka's tour of Australia less than 6 weeks away-

Here's the schedule-
Sat 27 - Mon 29 October Cricket Australia Chairman's XI v Sri Lankans
Adelaide Oval

November 2007
Fri 2 - Sun 4 Queensland v Sri Lankans
Allan Border Field, Brisbane

Thu 8 - Mon 12 November
10:00 local, 00:00 GMT 1st Test - Australia v Sri Lanka
Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane

Fri 16 - Tue 20 November
11:00 local, 00:00 GMT 2nd Test - Australia v Sri Lanka
Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Would Murali get taunted and harassed again?
Would Murali reach and overtake Warne as the leading Test Wicket taker ?

Who will spearhead the Australian spin department ? Would it be Macgill or Hogg or Cameron White ?

Would Jayasuriya still be part of the SL Team ?

Australians have always enjoyed benefits from close umpiring decision more often than not , will that still continue ...?

Discuss...

 

[chaminda_00]

lol at the discussion points.

Haven't decided yet if im going to Brisbane Test or Hobart Test. Always wanted to go to a Brisbane Test, but i've never been to Tasmania. Interesting thing is Brisbane cost less overall.

 

[JASON]

lol at the discussion points.

Haven't decided yet if im going to Brisbane Test or Hobart Test. Always wanted to go to a Brisbane Test, but i've never been to Tasmania. Interesting thing is Brisbane cost less overall.

I will be there at both ...

 

[chaminda_00]

I would be there at both, but i just started a new job so i can't take a month off. Also saving up for a car, so can't really afford it either.

 

[readie]

it will be interesting if murali beats the wickets record while here, i'm quite interested just to see how the crowd will react because as poor as it would be regardless of your opinion on muralia, his action etc. he could possibly not be shown positive recognition when he breaks the record, at least it wont be at the MCG (obviously) as id say it would be more likely to happen there than anywhere else

 

[Matt79]

Sri Lanka's tour of Australia less than 6 weeks away-

Here's the schedule-
Sat 27 - Mon 29 October Cricket Australia Chairman's XI v Sri Lankans
Adelaide Oval

November 2007
Fri 2 - Sun 4 Queensland v Sri Lankans
Allan Border Field, Brisbane

Thu 8 - Mon 12 November
10:00 local, 00:00 GMT 1st Test - Australia v Sri Lanka
Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane

Fri 16 - Tue 20 November
11:00 local, 00:00 GMT 2nd Test - Australia v Sri Lanka
Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Would Murali get taunted and harassed again?
Would Murali reach and overtake Warne as the leading Test Wicket taker ?

Who will spearhead the Australian spin department ? Would it be Macgill or Hogg or Cameron White ?

Would Jayasuriya still be part of the SL Team ?

Australians have always enjoyed benefits from close umpiring decision more often than not , will that still continue ...?

Discuss...

You missed an obvious discussion point:

"Will Jason and Kazoholic engage in 20 pages of forum trench warfare during the tour?"

 

[The Sean]

You missed an obvious discussion point:

"Will Jason and Kazoholic engage in 20 pages of forum trench warfare during the tour?"

That's hardly a discussion point. More of a given, I would have thought.

 

[JASON]

Tosses will be very crucial in both Tests (as it was in 20/20 yesterday), given it will be seamer friendly in both tests and more so in the first few sessions. I dread to think SL being all out under 100 even before the end of second session like yesterdays 20/20.

Who will open for Australia ? Will it be Hayden and Jacques ?

I wonder if Brad Hogg will be in consideration for selection ?

 

[Matt79]

You'd think Watto's latest "tragic" accident would have put him out of contention for a slot at the Gabba. You'd think Jaques would be in the box seat, with Rogers very hard on his tail. I predict Hodge will once again be given the rough end of the pineapple.

 

[JASON]

My selection for Sri Lankan Test squad-

Jayasuriya
Vandort
Tharanga
Warnapura
Samaraweera TT +/- MDK Perera
Sangakkara WK
Kaushal Silva WK
Jayawardene Mahela
Chamara Silva
Dilshan
Vaas
Malinga
Dilhara
Murali
? Amerasinghe
? WRS De Silva

 

[Richard]

You'd think Watto's latest "tragic" accident would have put him out of contention for a slot at the Gabba.

Symonds it is then I guess.

I suppose Rob will find it easier to take this way?

 

[iamdavid]

I wonder if Brad Hogg will be in consideration for selection ?

I've been asking myself that same question, if MacGill's (reportedly) average form continues into the start of the domestic season, and Hogg has a good series in India, things will get very interesting.
I know MacGill was a shoe-in a couple of months ago according to Tim Neilson, but his latest encounter with the match ref in Pakistan drew raised eyebrows and harsh words from people in high places and wont have done him any favours.

God help us if they pick a spinner other than MacGill or Hogg though, the other legspinner (Bailey) appears to have been harshly exposed on the current A tour and Cullen, Heal or whoever else you want just arent upto it.

I know its still unlikely but I'm reasonably confident Hogg could do a job if given the chance.

 

[JASON]

I definitely think Hogg is a worthy consideration....although I suspect Macgill will get picked...

 

[Perm]

I definitely think Hogg is a worthy consideration....although I suspect Macgill will get picked...

Hogg is a crap bowler in the longer form, hasn't done anything to deserve a spot in Test cricket, regardless of his ODI acheivements.

 

[Perm]

You'd think Watto's latest "tragic" accident would have put him out of contention for a slot at the Gabba. You'd think Jaques would be in the box seat, with Rogers very hard on his tail. I predict Hodge will once again be given the rough end of the pineapple.

Jaques is pretty much a given now, given how heavily he's scored in Pakistan.

 

[iamdavid]

Yeah, before this week it was still right up in the air, but the combination of his runs in Pakistan and Watsons injury have really sealed the deal. Barring a disaster he opens at Brisbane.

It bodes well for his international career the way he has been able to stand up and make runs at this crucial time aswell, because the openers spot really was wide open to whoever put their hand up, Jaques in particular was under huge pressure after how he fell away last summer and had a poor English season, if he'd failed we would have quite possibly never seen him in a Baggy Green again, great to see the way he's just gone out there and let his bat do the talking.

 

[Matt79]

Jaques FTW.

 

[silentstriker]

Stickied.

 

[pup11]

I think Jacques should have easily been Australia's no.1 pick for the openers slot, he is an aggressive batsman and he scores big runs and i think its about time he makes his impact felt on the international scene.
So what are the chances of Taity and Watto getting fit for the first test, i think Taity is probably gonna make it, but not so sure about Watto.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Haha, dire opening post.

Anyway, he's my prediction for the Gabba test side (as opposed to my preferred side).

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Gilchrist
Lee
Johnson
Clark
MacGill

I'd love to see Watson in there ahead of Symonds, but he probably won't have much cricket under his belt, so I expect Symonds to make it. And given Hussey's success down the order in tests and Jaques' excellent tour of Pakistan, I doubt Hussey will open allowing for another batsman to slot in.

MacGill is a given as the spinner, and I think Johnson will get the nod as the third seamer. He was pretty close last year, and he's bowled well in South Africa. Assuming he has a decent tour of India and doesn't get injured, he'll start in the test series, with Hilfenhaus just missing out, and Tait not being considered due to a general lack of cricket. Any of those three could make it, but Johnson is the front runner again.