Tuesday 7th October, 2008 Australia can handle Indian spinners – Ponting

HYDERABAD, India (AP) - sure on the batsmen.” Australian skipper Ricky Ponting Chawla and Ojha do not feature believes his team is equipped to in India’s test squad, where the handle Indian spinners, who are spin attack will be led by skipper expected to pose a big threat to the Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. tourists in the four-test series that “It was very important, very begins Thursday. good to get some time out in the Australia drew its only warm- middle,” Hussey said. up match Sunday against the Hussey said the Australian Board President’s XI where the batsmen just need “a bit more time touring team’s vulnerability to and they’ll be fine.” spin was exposed by leg-spinner “Coming into a Test match, our Piyush Chawla and left-arm spin- intensity levels will rise another ner Pragyan Ojha. cog and we will be definitely up for Nine in Australia’s the battle,” Hussey said. first innings of the warmup game Hussey felt skipper Ricky fell to the spinners but Ponting is Ponting and Brad Haddin batted unfazed going into the opening quite well against the prodigious test. spinners. “When they are 75 per- “I thought Ricky looked really cent of their overs with spin, the good, he was beaten by a pretty chances are that you are going to good ball from Chawla” in the first Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, left, poses for photo- lose wickets to them at some innings, said Hussey. graphs after he unveiled ‘The Wall’,a massive structure, stage,” said Ponting, ahead of “Matthew Hayden is a class conceptualized and built by Skyline group, to honour Monday’s departure to Bangalore, player and has been successful in Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid, right, at Chinnaswamy venue for the series opener. Indian conditions, while Michael Stadium, Bangalore, on Monday. A metal statue of Dravid “That’s the way the Indians Clarke is our best player of spin playing his trademark cover-drive, is seen on the wall in play their , the spinners do bowling,” he said. background. The former Indian was nicknamed bowl a lot of overs. I don’t think it Returning from injury, Ponting ‘The Wall’ after his back to the wall during India’s was disappointing for us,” he said. was pleased with his form after hit- tour of Australia in 2003-04. After Dravid had a poor run “When we get to Bangalore we will ting an unbeaten 58 in the second during the recent Test series in , Indian journal- fine-tune our preparations.” innings. ists jokingly commented that ‘the wall is crumbling’. (AP Michael Hussey was the only “The time I spent in the middle Australian batsman who made Ricky Ponting in this game will hold me in good good use of the warm-up game, visitors from an embarrassing fol- enough to play and stead,” said Ponting. “I’m back scoring 126 and featuring in a 96- low-on. would be successful at that level,” from an injury, which always Minister to meet rugby run partnership for the last “I think the two spinners who said Hussey. “They bowled well in makes it a little hard to get going.” with Stuart Clark that saved the played here are definitely good tandem and they put a lot of pres- officials on Friday to Cricketers leave for Canada Cup Twenty-20 settle crisis “I have invited the After their departure to Toronto for teams in the four day competition. Sri , who last played Australia in the last Twenty-20 World President of the SLRFU and the quadrangular Canada Cup Lanka will play the curtain raiser of the for Sri Lanka in February in the tri- Cup. also would like to meet the Tournament was held up by two days, tournament on Friday against nation competition in Australia is also The Schedule council members, along with due to unavailability of flights, the Sri Zimbabwe and after games against back in the side after injury while good 10th Oct - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe and the national selectors for an Lankan cricket team finally left the Pakistan on October 11th and Canada performance in the ‘A’ team tour to Canada v Pakistan initial discussion to resolve island for the Twenty-20 Tournament on October 12th, the best two teams South Africa has earned hard hitting 11th Oct - Canada v Zimbabwe and Sri the crisis,” Minister of last night. will play the final of the tournament on batsman Thilina Kandamby a place. Lanka v Pakistan Sports Gamini Lokuge told The quadrangular tournament 13th of October at the Maple Leaf Kaushal Weeraratne, who was part of 12th Oct - Pakistan v Zimbabwe and ‘The Island’ yesterday. comes as a welcome move for the Sri Stadium in Toronto. the Asia Cup squad, also returns to the Canada v Sri Lanka “I expect the selectors Lankans, who haven’t played any Sri Lanka will be without the servic- senior side after missing the ODIs 13th Oct - third/fourth place play-off will be able to establish the Twenty-20 cricket since the last year’s es of wicket keeper batsman Kumar against India at home. and final criteria of appointing the T-20 World Cup in South Africa. Sangakkara, who underwent surgery The Sri Lankans have rested veter- Sri Lanka Squad: Mahela captain, whilst considering “We haven’t played any Twenty-20 on his right index finger in Australia an seamer and ace Jayawardene ( Capt), Sanath seniority and other factors,” cricket at all since the World Cup and recently. Tillekeratne Dilshan is expect- spinner for the Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, he added. leading up to the Twenty-20 World ed to keep wickets and is named as the tour. , Jehan Further he expressed his Cup in England next year, we haven’t vice-captain of the side. West Indies were the third visiting Mubarak, Thilina Kandamby, T. M. displeasure over the arbi- got any games lined up as well. So it’s 34-year-old uncapped, all-rounder team to take part in the tournament, Dilshan (V. Capt), Farveez Maharoof, trary decision of the players Lokuge vital we take this tournament serious- ,Jeevantha Kulatunga makes his first but after a request by them to postpone Thilan Thushara Mirando, Nuwan by pulling out from national ly,” Sri Lanka’s coach Trevor Bayliss appearance in the senior side while all- the series by two weeks was turned Kulasekera, , Dilhara by Rukshan Razak duty. told ‘The Island’ yesterday. rounder Dilhara Lokuhettige has been down, they pulled out of the series and Fernando, Jeevantha Kulatunga, “This is not the course of Apart from hosts Canada, Pakistan named in the team after being in the were replaced by Zimbabwe. Dilhara Lokuhettige, Kaushalya The President of the Sri action that the players and Zimbabwe are the two visiting sidelines for three years. Zimbabwe, incidentally, beat Weeraratne. Lanka Rugby Football Union should take in response to (SLRFU) along with the the circumstances and thus members of the Council and the current situation does Dharmaraja record second successive outright win the national rugby selectors not creat a condusive envi- have been invited by the ronment to safeguard the by Rukshan Razak played great confidence when he In the process, off-spinners Silva 20, W. Wijekoon 17 n.o; S.L.B. Minister of Sports Gamini credibility of the players,” Dharmaraja College, Kandy went on to score a blazing 82 runs for Tharaka Silva and Prabath Silva Abeyratne 3 for 65, S.K. Weerakoon 2 Lokuge for a meeting on Lokuge added. recorded their second successive out- the Rajans to post a formidable 310 with six and five wicket hauls put the for 60) Friday 10th of October to Meanwhile, the Minister right win when they beat home town for 6 declared. The Rajans’ total was breaks on Vidyartha and they were Vidyartha College 88 all out in 31.4 resolve the current crisis expects to forward the issue rivals Vidyartha College, Kandy by boosted by praise worthy contribu- ably supported by Tharindu overs that has occurred as a result before the National Sports an inning and 132 runs in their inter- tions from Rahula Ekanayake, who Dandeniya and Yapa Bandra, who (C.T. Wijekoon 32, Tharaka Silva 4 for of the appointment of Select Committee headed by school cricket tournament match made an unbeaten 64 and Thikshana shared seven wickets between them. 12, Tharindu Dandeniya 4 for 34, Dushantha Lewke as the cap- former Inspector General of that concluded at the University Wedagedara, who hit a forceful 49 Prabath Silva 2 for 4) and 90 all out tain of the Sri Lanka team Police Indra Silva to study grounds in Peradeniya, yesterday. runs and Sanjaya Kalubowila, who Dharmaraja College 310 for 6 in 40.5 overs (S.L.B. Abeyratne 21, and the subsequent with- on the matter and advice the It was Ramesh Yapa Bandara of scored 43. declared in 77 overs C.T. Wijekoon 19, Tharaka Silva 2 for drawal of 12 national Minister over the course of Dharmaraja who stole the limelight Vidyartha in reply were bundled (Ramesh Yapa Bandra 82, Thikshana 20, Rahula Ekanayake 2 for 13, poolists representing Kandy action to be taken, if with an impressive all-round per- out for a paltry 88 runs followed by 90 Wedagedara 49, Sanjaya Kalubowila Prabath Silva 3 for 20, Ramesh Yapa Sports Club from national Friday’s meeting fails to formance. The right-hander dis- runs after being forced to follow on. 43, Rahula Ekanayake 64 n.o; Prabath Bandra 3 for 12). duty. bring a resolution.

Tuesday 7th October, 2008