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Crossroads for Lankan cricketers!
By S.R.Pathiravithana
Sri Lanka will have to recapture their winning habits as the three remaining games (including today’s match against Australia) will mean a lot for the short term sustenance of cricket. First they will have to win at least two of the remaining matches to oust S. Africa from the final. If they do win two more matches they thus will move up the one-day standing to the sixth position which will see them also automatically qualifying for the ICC championship in India later this year.

Out of the ten full member cricketing nations only six teams will automatically qualify for the ICC mini-world cup while the other two top teams from the bottom four will play. However the two teams that come into the top eight will have to go through a round of qualifying matches to ascertain who the seventh and the eighth in the ODI international standings are. Coming back to the current VB series Sri Lanka at present are in second place with nine points while Australia is well away with fourteen points to their credit. South Africa who have won two matches with a bonus point has eight.

According to reports reaching from Australia Sri Lanka’s main hope Sanath Jayasuriya will be back in the side for today’s match. However they surely will need the services of the much improved Ruchira Perera who is still out with his injury. However it will be intriguing to see how the Lankan batsmen will handle Lee and company on the hectic Perth track which is considered as the fastest wicket in the world.

In their two previous matches Sri Lanka ironically squandered two golden opportunities against both Australia and South Africa, but misdemeanors of that nature will only thwart their short term chances further. Meanwhile the BBC stated Australia will aim to stifle the flair of Sri Lanka star Sanath Jayasuriya in today’s day-night match in Perth.

Jayasuriya has only been fit for two of Sri Lanka's five matches so far, but his 114 off 96 balls against the hosts in Sydney set up a convincing win.
"Obviously he's a huge boost for them," said Australia batsman Michael Hussey. "We all saw how well he played in Sydney so we definitely need to be a bit more specific in our plans when we try to get him out."

Hussey went on: "He's obviously a key player for them - one with a lot of experience and obviously one with a lot of batting ability as well. We are going to have to try and curb his brilliance, definitely, if we are going to have a good chance of winning the game."

The 36-year-old, with more than 10,000 one-day international runs to his name, is expected to play today after missing Sri Lanka's last match against Australia on Thursday with a thigh injury. "We're doing everything we possibly can to get him fit," said Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody.

"It's looking pretty good at this stage. He's got a final fitness test this morning, but he's on the right track." Moody said the Sri Lankans had not been able to plug the gaps after losing Jayasuriya in the Adelaide contest against the hosts.

"When you've got a player of his capacity [not playing], any side looks pretty limp at the top," he said. The Perth wicket, famous for being the fastest in the world, is flat and grassless - and could provide an abundance of runs. Australia currently head the triangular series table but all teams are still in with a shout of making the final - and all could in theory miss out.

But another win for the hosts today will put them in the box seat and Sri Lanka will suddenly be in deep trouble.

South Africa, whose next match is on Tuesday, have two wins from two matches so far.

Australia will not be at full strength today.
Nathan Bracken misses out for personal reasons while Ricky Ponting is again resting - with Adam Gilchrist leading the side.

Australia (from): A. Gilchrist (capt, wk), M. Hussey, S. Clark, M. Clarke, B. Dorey, B. Hodge, B. Hogg, J. Hopes, S. Katich, B. Lee, D. Martyn, G. McGrath, A. Symonds.

Sri Lanka (from): M. Atapattu (captain), S. Jayasuriya, C. Vaas, M. Jayawardene, K. Sangakkara, T. Dilshan, U. Tharanga, M. Vandort, M. Muralitharan, M. Bandara, J. Mubarak, R. Arnold, D. Fernando, N. Kulasekera, C. Kapugedara, A. Ganegama.

Teams to name 11 starters and one supersub at the toss.

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