Can bruised Aussies halt SL march? (Preview)

In the end, the first Twenty20 was a lopsided contest where the gulf between the two teams in the shortest format of game was more than evident. Tillakaratne Dilshan set the tone for the series with a scorching ton that knocked the stuffing out of the Kangaroo challenge.

To sum up Australia’s performance on Saturday, they were simply found wanting on critical occasions. To begin with, their bowling attack in spite of many big names lacked venom at crucial stages. The fact that both their strike bowlers, Brett Lee and Johnson went for plenty should be a cause of concern for the management. Their batting with the sole exception of David Warner also did not come good while chasing a mammoth target. And, they were ordinary in the field, something that is not usually associated with the Aussies.

All in all, the rustiness of the visitors showed. They need to take lessons from the pasting in the tour opener and make the necessary adjustments in their game as well as in their overall approach. Time is fast running out for Craig White, after being dropped from the ODI side for lack of form, his team needs some runs from him in the next match. Another key man, Shane Watson also needs to put in a strong performance before the 50-over leg of this grueling tour commences.

On the contrary, the hosts seem to be better equipped on the spinning Pallekele strip. Dilshan took the attack to the opposition to belt a match-winning century, only the fifth in twenty20 internationals. Their bowlers made sure the sparkling innings of their captain was not wasted. Debutant Dilruwan Perera got consistent spin to trouble the Australian batsmen and the three wickets he got were a result of the building pressure and frustration on the batsmen.

The way things stand, Sri Lanka are favorites to wrap up the T20’s 2-0. But, the least we can expect from the Aussies is resistance of some sort.

Squads:

Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan (Capt), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Thisara Perera, Dhammika Prasad, Suranga Lakmal, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Chamara Silva, Shaminda Eranga.

Australia: Shane Watson, David Warner, Brad Haddin (wk), Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, Cameron White (Capt), Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, Steve O'Keefe, John Hastings, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, James Pattinson.