Well, if the International Cricket Council is at all serious about retaining some credibility in not only this World Cup, but cricket in general, then a few questions have got to be asked of Sri Lanka. Hasn't anyone told Sri Lanka that Australia are hard enough to beat when you play your full strength side? Under Ricky Ponting they have won 19 times in a row at the World Cup and he hasn't been defeated as a captain. You don't need to give Australia, in that sort of form, a start and that's exactly what Sri Lanka did by not picking their best side. I could not believe it and I don't think that anybody that I have spoken to could believe it when Sri Lanka left Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan out of their side. That took the wind out of a game that really did have a lot in prospect, and boy this tournament needs some good, hard-fought close games.

The Sri Lankans were quickly in trouble with Nathan Bracken swinging the ball, Glenn McGrath bowling his usual tight line, and three wickets fell in a hurry. Then there was a terrific partnership, probably the only bit of joy in the whole match, a 140-run stand between Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Silva. They were the two players who passed the half-century mark, and while they were going it looked as though Australia might be put under some pressure. But Brad Hogg seemed to confuse the two partners with his wrist-spinners when they both were going well. First he had Silva caught sweeping and then Jayawardene was brilliantly stumped by Adam Gilchrist. And that was the end of the Sri Lankan challenge; 226 was never going to be enough even if they had their full-strength attack. But certainly with this much-reduced bowling attack it was never going to be enough.

Nathan Bracken with 4 for 19 bowled brilliantly both with the new ball and when he came back later in the innings. Shaun Tait took a bit of pounding early on but he did come back to get two wickets. Ponting used him very wisely and he is in very good captaincy form at the moment. McGrath took a couple of wickets and Hogg got two crucial wickets, so the Australians performed very well with the ball.

It was a clinical job with the bat. Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden once again got them away to a good start, another half-century partnership to that pair. And Ponting just goes on and on and on making runs. Today he made 66 not out and probably the only time he looked like being out was when there was a chance for a run-out at the bowler's end but it didn't happen. Malinga Bandara, the legspinner coming into the side, got the wicket of Michael Clarke, but Andrew Symonds picked up a half-century and another Australian was in form.

It was a poor performance from Sri Lanka, but you cannot expect much else when the selectors don't pick the best side to go into the match against Australia. It was ridiculous, disgraceful and the ICC has got to ask some questions.