Sport

Rain follows the caravan to Sydney

Sydney: Cricket in a haze is never fun. The CB tri-series so far has been blurred by rain. And it doesn’t promise to get better. From Brisbane to Sydney, inclement weather is chasing cricket.

It’s pouring in Sydney and the forecast for Friday is not heartening either.

Sri Lanka was forced to practice indoors. Australia was slightly more fortunate, a part of its session was outdoors. Under the circumstances, it’s hard for the cricketers to stay focussed.

They are not sure about the match being on and even if the contest gets underway, rain and interruptions would hardly allow them to settle into a rhythm.

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene expressed concern about the menace of rain and how it could affect the prospects of the teams.

There are indications though that a shortened game could suit Sri Lanka’s hustling brand of cricket.

The islanders will have to contend with someone who knows much about hustle and muscle. The return of the fit-again Matthew Hayden should add meat to the Australian batting. Apart from his powerful stroke-play, Hayden’s presence should be a psychological boost for the host.

Paceman Stuart Clark is back in the squad after addressing personal concerns but is unlikely to make the eleven. Hayden is likely to replace paceman Ashley Noffke.

With Brett Lee breathing fire, Australia can afford to sacrifice an additional paceman.

However, these are the not best of periods for the Australian batting. Only Hayden, Andrew Symonds, and to an extent, Michael Clarke, are in form. Skipper Ponting, despite a defiant century in the Adelaide Test, is still seeking fluency and runs. Michael Hussey can be relied upon during crisis but then he is not the same force he was the same time last year. Despite glimpses of old brilliance, Adam Gilchirst has not been able to construct an innings of substance.

The debate in Australian cricket over the mega-bucks Indian Premier League (IPL) is proving a distraction to the Aussies in the competition. Ponting has been critical of Cricket Australia’s (CA) insistence of protecting the player contracts overseas which could jeopardise the participation of the Australians in the IPL.

There are a few gray areas about Gilchrist’s participation but the Aussie legend should subsequently be cleared for the Indian tournament by CA.

Before that, the Aussies have a job on hand here. The Indian paceman made early dents the other night in Brisbane and the home batting did appear vulnerable. Under the circumstances, Hayden at the top is vital in the Australian scheme of things. He provides the innings momentum and then builds monuments.

The Aussies will expect Hayden, countering the speed and swing of Lasith Malinga, to bat till the period Muralitharan is introduced.

The duel between the two should be fascinating. Hayden will use his feet to disrupt Muralitharan’s length, employ the sweep to unsettle the line.

If Hayden bats in the middle overs, it could upset the Lankan game-plan. Sri Lanka controls the flow of the game in the middle-overs with tight spin bowling and alert men in single saving positions. There are occasions when the deep is, deliberately, left unguarded and the bait is laid.

Mahela Jayawardene was conservative in his use of the Power Plays at the ’Gabba against India. It would be interesting to see if he holds back his third batch between overs 30 and 34, just before the mandatory ball change.

The batsmen could struggle to force the scoring rate in the Power Play overs when confronted by a softer ball. Such a tactic might suit Sri Lanka.

The Lankan selectors could have picked a second specialist spinner in the squad. On a surface such as the one at the SCG, there will be definite help for the spinners even if the overcast conditions favour pacemen. Tuesday’s game at the Gabba showed Lanka had worries with the bowling at the death. Maharoof’s variations of pace could have been handy in the end overs.

The teams (from): Australia: R. Ponting (captain), M. Hayden, A. Gilchrist, M. Clarke, A. Symonds, M. Hussey, B. Haddin, J. Hopes, B. Lee, M. Johnson, N. Bracken, B. Hogg, S. Clark.

Sri Lanka: M. Jayawardene (captain), S. Jayasuriya, U. Tharanga, K. Sangakkara, T. Dilshan, C. Silva, C. Vaas, F. Maharoof, I. Amerasinghe, M. Muralitharan, L. Malinga, Kapugedera.

Umpires: Tony Hill and Simon Taufel: Match Referee: Jeff Crowe.

Match starts at 8.45 a.m. IST.

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