A dilapidated Sri Lankan side look for a better showing when they take on Australia, who will aim at a clean sweep at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the third and final Test match.
We’ll bring you the live scores of the action throughout this game, with the first day starting at (10.30 am AEST) on January 3.
Sri Lanka were left to lick their wounds after the series was lost in three days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but the captain and could may have well spent the extra time between that game and this one counting the number of fit players standing.
There were three injuries during the second Test match for Sri Lanka, and a fourth went down a day before the game. Of them, Kumar Sangakkara’s batting will be most sorely missed even as Chanaka Welegadara and Prasanna Jayawardene (if he doe not get fit in time) will be vital losses.
Shaminda Eranga injured his ankle just a day before the game and that seriously puts a question-mark on the Lankan bowling attack.
Sri Lanka will now look at Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal to join them for this one, partnering the sole surviving pace bowler from the first couple of Tests, Nuwan Kulasekara.
Sangakkara’s is a void that will be more difficult to fill. For all of Dinesh Chandimal’s potential as a middle-order batsman, expecting him to fill Sangakkara’s big boots on a track very foreign to what he is used to, will be too much to expect.
Chandimal will also need to double up as a keeper in the case of Prasanna Jayawardene’s absence with Lahiru Thirimanne joining in as a replacement in the order.
Australia have injury worries of their own, none of them as pronounced as Sri Lanka’s problems. Shane Watson has been ruled out of the 11 and while Glenn Maxwell was brought in to replace him, the side will go into the game with an extra pace bowler instead.
Fortunately for Australia, captain Michael Clarke has been ruled fit again – after he was expected to miss the Melbourne game too. Usman Khawaja will, therefore, sit out after being named in the squad.
Renowned commentator Tony Greig’s passing away and Michael Hussey’s sudden retirement announcement will add a tinge of sadness to the atmosphere but expect the teams to come out hard once the action begins.
We will bring you the live score throughout the game from the SCG and hope to receive your opinions as the action unfolds.
Brendon
Guest
Bird looks to be the real deal, not much can go wrong with a bowling action like that. Puts himself right in the frame for the upcoming tours.
Jason
Guest
Do any of you media types happen to know what the password is to access the media wi if at the SCG? The 3G reception there is useless.
Matt F
Roar Guru
I hope our new all-rounder can bat ;)
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Especially bowling pies like that to the tail. 9 off the over.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Put him up to 7 and call him an all rounder... :)
Geoff Lemon
Expert
QUESTION How are Sri Lanka and Australia placed at the end of Day 1? A reasonable score for the tourists, but it could have been so much better had Jayawardene and Thirimanne gone on with their promising starts, and had Chandimal not been wasted in having to bash with the tail rather than bat with the top order. Mathews' place at No. 6 should perhaps be reconsidered. 400 would have been the target score on this pitch, 350 the par. For Sri Lanka to notch just under 300, they're not out of the game yet, but the odds are against them. They'll need a disciplined and determined bowling effort in Australia's first innings if they hope to keep themselves in the game. Jayawardene batted beautifully today after an indifferent tour to date, while Thirimanne looked shaky early, but grew in strength and confidence as the innings went on, to reach his highest Test score with 91. Dilshan was reasonable early, but apart from those three, the top order provided little support. A more all-round contribution could have had Sri Lanka still batting at stumps, and arriving at a much stronger total sometime tomorrow. Now it's up to Australia's young batsmen - Ed Cowan, David Warner, and Phillip Hughes will all want to impress, on a good pitch. What the bowling attack will present is hard to say, with Lakmal and Pradeep both unsighted in this series. Mike Hussey will want to leave on a high, and would love to live up to his century-plus average against Sri Lanka, while Matthew Wade will want to impress on his promotion to the top six. Australia's bowling did the job today, though it would be hard to claim that the fifth bowler was necessary. Starc took 3/71, and was dangerous and expensive, as per his reputation. Jackson Bird was the best - 19.4 overs, 10 of them maidens, with 4/41 giving him the best economy rate of the frontliners. Siddle bowled 15 overs, 2/46, Lyon had 19 overs, 1/69, which made him not much more economical than Starc. Johnson went wicketless and was by far the most expensive - 13 overs, 1 maiden, 0/58 (at 4.46 an over). Join us here on The Roar tomorrow, as Cowan and Warner take to the middle, and we learn some more about Australia's batting and our bowling. We will be the most interested spectators aside from Usman Khawaja. Till then, Roarers.
Red Kev
Guest
Bird gets four, Johnson gets none, and SL blow a good batting day to be all out for less than 300.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
86.4 OUT! And it's finally over, as Lakmal nicks Bird to Hussey at slip. That's Hussey's third catch for the day, Bird's fourth wicket, and Sri Lanka close on 294 - a solid total, but at least 60 short of what they would have wanted, and what they could have had.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
87.1 FOUR Praddep is looking good! Flicks Bird through midwicket, goes to 16, that was a genuinely nice shot. 9/294. 300 is a chance?
Red Kev
Guest
Well you are dead right Geoff. Pradeep should move up to no.8 behind Chandimal. He has the 5th highest score of the innings.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
So instead of getting a cheap wicket, Johnson gets pillaged for 9 runs. A 4, a 3, and a 2. Pradeep has 12. Lakmal 5.
Red Kev
Guest
I hope he doesn't get a wicket, he doesn't deserve it.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
86.1 FOUR Haha! There it goes! Mitch Johnson comes back on for a sympathy wicket, and Pradeep steps outside leg and smokes him down to long on for four. He has 9 now! 9 times his previous high score. Average is skyrocketing. 9/284
Geoff Lemon
Expert
The 11's boundary was a genuine shot, and played well. Lakmal hasn't played one yet.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
Lakmal swings, misses, swings, misses. Bird the bowler. Can't put it on the stumps. Six balls in a row outside off, when one on the stumps would have done the job. 85.6
Red Kev
Guest
So you reckon the 10 is better than the 11? There certainly isn't much between them.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
Pradeep hit a boundary earlier, give him the strike!
Geoff Lemon
Expert
84.5 Hilarious stuff, terrible cricket all round. Lakmal kept it out of stumps pretty well, hit it to mid-off, then decided to go for a single. Siddle's throw was a tired one, and he sprayed it well wide of Wade, when a run-out was most likely on. They got through. Lakmal, unfortunately, will now have strike. 9/280
Red Kev
Guest
Sure is a disappointing card. And I notice Johnson has gotten nothing, good thing we played him.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
Ok, Lakmal must be one of the worst batsmen I've ever seen at Test level. Maybe the worst. Even Chris Martin looks like he's trying.