Australia tour of Sri Lanka, 2011 news from Cricinfo.com

'My focus was on how I was going to score off every ball'

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Mahela Jayawardene's recent fourth-innings hundred in Galle was one for the ages, produced over nearly four hours in conditions favouring the bowling side. He looks back at what went into the knock

Plane tales from the hills

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Galle to Colombo? Our fearless correspondent takes an unconventional mode of transport and lives to tell the tale

The left-hand advantage in Sri Lanka

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Overseas left-hand batsmen have been far more successful in Sri Lanka than their right-hand counterparts

All-round consistency seals triumph

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

In a series where neither team enjoyed a sustained dominance, Australia's disciplined performance with both bat and ball proved to be the crucial difference in the end

At last, a captain's knock

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Michael Clarke's poise as a leader has been striking, exhibiting a superb feel for the game. But he waited until the final day of the series to produce the sort of spinal contribution that can define a captain

Missed stumpings and a long conversation

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Plays of the Day from the fifth day of the SSC Test between Sri Lanka and Australia

Marsh's lapse of reason

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the day from the fourth day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Colombo

A hundred that Mathews might grow to regret

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Angelo Mathews crawled to his maiden Test century at the SSC, and in doing so, did the game more harm than good

Johnson still searching for consistency

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Mitchell Johnson is struggling, and while it is not clear why, it could have something to do with his uneasy bowling action

A wrestling match and a lucky catch

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the third day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Colombo

A stitch in time and lightning reflexes

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the second day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Colombo

Another first-ball wicket and the milestone that wasn't

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the first day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Colombo

Marsh shows up Ponting and Clarke

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Shaun Marsh appeared to be the only man in Australia's top five to have an appropriate grasp of the demands of Test match batting

Sri Lanka's stand-out performer overseas

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Playing in a team whose batsmen have regularly struggled outside Sri Lanka, Kumar Sangakkara has stood out because of his consistency and reliability in away Tests

Harris as valuable as he is fragile

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Australia's success thus far in Sri Lanka could not have taken place without Ryan Harris and his combination of speed, swing and seam

Sri Lanka's batting finally comes good

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

While their bowling attack has been weakened by retirements, there are no excuses for Sri Lanka's batting failures in this series, and the batsmen took what was, perhaps, their last chance to assert themselves

Another missing frame and Hussey strikes again

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Pallekele

Michael Hussey, role model

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

He's got the shots, and he can grind when needed. Cricket needs more old-school batsmen like him, not the Suresh Rainas, bred on Twenty20

Marsh performs, who will perish?

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Shaun Marsh's debut century has opened up one of Australian cricket's most significant selection debates and has put pressure on numerous incumbents, including Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke

Sangakkara's role-switch, Watson's Dilshan-moment

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the second day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Pallekele

Newcastle revisited

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Shaun Marsh's maiden first-class ton came in the company of Michael Hussey eight years ago in Newcastle, and, so far, he's looked good to repeat the feat in Test cricket in Pallekele

The leader and the left-over

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

While Michael Clarke has looked the part of leader of his team in the series so far, Tillakaratne Dilshan seems to be finding it hard to cope with the complex demands of captaining Sri Lanka

Still no luck with the DRS for Harris

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the first day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Pallekele

Time is right for Copeland

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The world Shane Warne entered in 1992 lacked respect and understanding for legspin, and many of the batsmen with whom Trent Copeland has just joined battle regard medium pace almost as dimly

Finger flickin' Mendis a must for Pallekele

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The man who took Mendis straight from the army into Sri Lanka's spin-bowling academy says he could be the difference in the Tests against Australia

Better Galle than blandness

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Why is a pitch that does a little too much deemed so much worse than one that's dead from day one?

Greig's smile, Lyon's chance

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The stories behind the stories, in our reporter's recap of his first fortnight in Sri Lanka covering the Australia tour

The new and improved Shane Watson

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Armed with reverse-swing, suffocating accuracy and a pace only mildly above medium, Shane Watson has transformed into a Test bowler of international class

The proudest century

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Success to Ricky Ponting is not about trophies, nor about his place in the pantheon - it is about winning Test matches

Rain and the tail fail to support hosts

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

ESPNcricinfo's Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle

Australia's heart-starter

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

This Australian side is an enormous distance from being a great team, or even a very good one, but it has shown willingness to work hard and scrap heartily for success

Problems with the pitch-mat?

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Plays of the Day from the third day of the Galle Test between Sri Lanka and Australia

Life after Murali, and batting in Sri Lanka

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Since Muttiah Muralitharan's retirement, overseas batsmen have found it easier in Sri Lanka, a country where openers have fared better than the rest

Nathan Lyon's debut in the sun

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Offspinner Nathan Lyon, a groundsman by trade, took 5 for 34 on debut to skittle Sri Lanka for 105 in Galle

Australia struggle despite Mendis' absence

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Given Australia's struggles against Sri Lanka's mystery spinner in the limited-overs games, it was surprising he was not picked for the Test

Debuts, delays and deluxe views

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

ESPNcricinfo's Plays of the Day from the first day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle

'Australia need to live and die by the sword'

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Darren Lehmann, one of the lynchpins of Australia's batting on their extraordinary 2004 tour to Sri Lanka, looks back at that series

Ricky the waterboy

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Ricky Ponting is happy to be playing whatever part he can within the new set-up in the Australian team. Even if it means running out with the drinks

Sri Lanka's chance to get even

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

In a period of transition, Australia will be challenged by a Sri Lankan side that continues to be an extremely dangerous side in home conditions

Khawaja v Marsh poses selection headache

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The two-hour bus trip from Colombo to Galle may not be long enough to accommodate all that Michael Clarke must ponder - particularly the Khawaja v Marsh selection tussle, and his own batting form

Lyon learns from his mentor's mistakes

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Mark Higgs made it to the fringes of the Australian team a decade ago, before fading away. Now he's understanding more about what went wrong as he guides Nathan Lyon to the big league

'Thinking about the team probably dragged my batting down a bit'

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Ricky Ponting talks about life after the Australia captaincy, and looks ahead to the Tests in Sri Lanka, and at India's slide

Malinga's absence in Tests leaves a gaping hole

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Lasith Malinga was devastating for Sri Lanka in the ODI series but the hosts will have to find a way to cope without him in the Tests

Mmm, Malinga

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Yet another hat-trick from the wild-haired one. Plus fireworks from Chamara Silva. Equals happy campers

Ten trends for the Tests

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The limited-overs leg has reinforced the state of flux both teams find themselves in, and the Test series could be won by the side that handles the uncertainty better

And the band played on

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

... while the Titanic sank. If only Clarke had won the toss, things would have been so much better for this Lanka fan

Tharanga's ODI exploits

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

He has the third-best average among Sri Lankan batsmen with 4000 runs, but he can't be considered one of their best just yet

England's pace pack, and Johnson's Asia heroics

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Over the last 18 months England's pace attack has been the best in the world, while Mitchell Johnson has been at his best in subcontinent ODIs

Is there a method in the Australian selectors' madness?

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The panel seems to be acting without rhyme or reason, mainly on the idea of shaking the tree until Test players emerge

'Clarke will use his spinners well in Sri Lanka'

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Their former coach says that even though Sri Lanka are nearly invincible on home turf, Australia, led by their new captain, can be expected to put up a good fight on this tour

Hilditch still spinning his wheels

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The selection of Nathan Lyon in Australia's Test squad continues the panel's haphazard approach to choosing spinners under Andrew Hilditch