Beating Australia is the ultimate: Atapattu

World champions Australia are in for a shocker.

Marvan Atapattu, who leads Sri Lanka's one-day side, said that the present climatic conditions in the country would surprise Australia, who arrived on Saturday for a six-week, ten-match tour of the country. Sri Lanka is experiencing a drought in most parts of the country, with temperatures soaring between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius. The high humidity can also cause cramps if the body isn't sufficiently hydrated.

"The heat and the slow pitches are factors that would be a matter of concern to a certain extent. The Aussies are a bunch of good skilled guys with experience, but I am sure the climatic conditions at this time of the year are going to surprise them," said Atapattu, who will lead Sri Lanka in the first of five one-day internationals at Dambulla on Friday.

Atapattu said that his team would draw great inspiration from playing in home conditions in front of their own supporters. "We know our cricket, the way we play the one-day game, and our approach to it under these conditions and these type of wickets. It is our greatest strength," said Atapattu.

"There is no greater challenge than taking on Australia who are the world champions. More than being confident, we should take this series as a challenge. Australia have been world champions on two successive occasions. For the type of cricket they have been playing in the recent past, they deserve that title. We should try and give them a hard time," he said.

Atapattu and his men have just completed a six-week long, 11-match provincial first-class tournament, which gave the national players enough cricket to prepare for the Australian series after the England tour ended a few days before Christmas.

"Although it will be a different type of cricket we will be playing against the Aussies, everyone is keen to go out and prove himself against them," he said. "There is no greater challenge than playing against them. Everyone is very keen to get on the park. Playing on home soil and in front of our own crowd will be our greatest strength."

Atapattu, 33, is the fourth-highest run-getter in one-day internationals for Sri Lanka, after Aravinda de Silva (9284 runs), Sanath Jayasuriya (9172) and Arjuna Ranatunga (7456). In 201 matches, he has scored 6567 runs and averages 37.74, by far the best average achieved by any Sri Lankan in limited overs cricket.

Comparing the completed series against England to the one against Australia, Atapattu said, "Playing at home, everybody expected us to win against England. There is less pressure on us to win against Australia because everybody knows how good they are," he said.

"Australia is more attacking than any other team in the world today. That has been their success story. In their side I don't think many batsmen or bowlers go out of form at any given time. They have good replacements. Although they won't bring (Shane) Warne and (Glenn) McGrath with them, they are a bunch of skilled guys," said Atapattu, who has already wrapped up one-day series victories against West Indies and England.

Atapattu suggested that the pressure to win would be on Australia. "It is not that we are going to lose all five matches to them but we can try out things to match them at their own game," he said.

The last time Australia played in Sri Lanka - at the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 - they lost badly by seven wickets with spin destroying their strong batting line up. "Whether we like it or not, we get turning tracks during this time of the year," said Atapattu. "I don't think any Sri Lankan will forget that match."

Sri Lanka are more or less likely to stick to the same 15 players who won against England, but Atapattu said that if all went well and they had a winning lead in the series, the selectors would in all probability introduce some youngsters with the Zimbabwe tour in mind. Sri Lanka is due to play five one-day internationals and two Tests in Zimbabwe in April.

"It has been the thinking of the selectors to make such changes, that is why they are naming two separate 15-member squads for the first four matches of the Australian series," said Atapattu.

As part of their preparations, Atapattu said the team management had brought in some new thoughts on motivation. "We have not done very much skill wise," he said. "We have gone through the routine video sessions and stuff like that."