Sri Lanka play Australia in key encounter

Colombo: Four-time champion Australia will face their biggest challenge of the World Cup so far when they take on co-host Sri Lanka in Group A on Saturday.
Sri Lanka, considered a favorite for the title, will be looking to prove that they will not falter again against strong opposition on the big stage following an 11-run defeat by Pakistan.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting concedes the match at R. Premadasa Stadium will be a challenging one for the defending champion. "We expect Sri Lanka obviously to be a very tough contest. I think that'll be our toughest contest to date in this tournament."
Australia have won both their matches so far, crushing Zimbabwe by 91 runs and then trouncing New Zealand by seven wickets.
Sri Lanka have comfortably beaten Canada and Kenya, two International Cricket Council Associate teams, but their ability to withstand the pressure of playing a top class team before an expectant home crowd will be sorely tested on Saturday, after last week's narrow defeat by Pakistan.
Off spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan insists Pakistan was just a one-off defeat and is not a cause for alarm. But he is well aware of Australia's World Cup prowess with its three consecutive titles.
"Pakistan is a very good side, they played better than us on the day," Muralitharan told reporters. "But this is a new game, it's going to a be a good game because they (Australia) are also a very strong side. It's going to a be a good challenge for us."
"They are good enough players, played spin well in the past. Every conditions they have won, they are No. 1 still, they have won three World Cups in a row. It's a team to beat so everyone wants to beat them."
Australia's preparation for the match had been mostly on how to tackle Muralitharan and fast bowler Lasith Malinga.
Malinga made a memorable 2011 World Cup debut with a hat-trick and a six-wicket match haul against Kenya. Ponting's men have been busy training how better to use their feet to negate the spin and block away toe-crushing yorkers.
"Murali is such a great bowler, who has got 800 Test wickets, a phenomenal competitor," Australian batsman David Hussey said. "But Australia has had pretty good success against Murali in the past. Hopefully that can continue on Saturday."
Hussey described Malinga as "world class. At the death, he is second to none, probably similar to Shaun Tait. I know batters are working hard practicing inswinging yorkers and hopefully we can nullify his existence later on in the games."
Australia's batting will mostly rely on Ponting, vice-captain Michael Clarke and Shane Watson who has a World Cup strike rate of 120 runs per 100 balls. Fast bowlers Brett Lee and Tait could prove a handful for Sri Lanka's batsmen, who are more comfortable playing spin and slow bowling.
Hussey rates Lee and Tait to be the best death bowlers in the world.
"They bowl fast, 150 plus kilometers. Hopefully they can sway the game in our favour."
Despite playing at home, Sri Lanka is unlikely to enjoy a great deal of advantage on a newly relaid pitch at R. Premadasa, which the co-hosts themselves are yet to be familiar with.
"If you see the wicket it's going to be a batting wicket rather than a typical Sri Lankan wicket. Everything is going to be 50-50," Muralitharan said.
"It's an interesting moment in their conditions because I think we are playing on a wicket that's a new one, it's been relaid," Ponting said.
"I'm looking at the first game that they had there, that was a really high scoring game, that one probably didn't favor the spinners as much as what they would like it to."
The two teams have a history of rivalry, acrimonious at times, which always assures a full house in the stadium.
Australia has beaten Sri Lanka in every recent big tournament match, defeating them in the 2003 semifinal and 2007 final.
Sri Lanka beat Australia in 1996 to win their first and only World Cup title and could take heart from their first one-day series win in Australia 2-1 last year.
Hussey feels both teams will be under pressure when they take the field.
"Sri Lanka (playing) in front of their home crowd, its going to be great atmosphere," Hussey said. "Also, Australia coming in playing away from home, different conditions, different wicket and both teams desperate to win."

Read more at:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/sl-to-face-aussie-challenge-in-key-encounter/54970-13.html