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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pata" data-source="post: 440141" data-attributes="member: 2136">Chloe Saltau in GrenadaApril 16, 2007Ranatunga, the 1996 World Cup-winning captain, also sided with England batsman Kevin Pietersen in asserting that Muttiah Muralitharan was more difficult to read than Shane Warne and suggesting that, of the Australian batsmen, only Ricky Ponting could survive an extended examination by the controversial Sri Lankan spinner.Speaking from London, Ranatunga said Sri Lanka were the only team that could hope to beat Ponting's Australians in their current, formidable form.He encouraged Mahela Jayawardene's men to follow the example set by the history-making 1996 team, which stood up to Australia in the final and triumphed by seven wickets in Lahore after Aravinda de Silva's all-round heroics and the Australians' five dropped catches."They play very hard when they get into the middle. I never agreed or approved but I realised that when teams give something back they get panicked. That is what happened in the 1996 World Cup final," said Ranatunga, who has had volatile relationship with the Australians."No team had done it before, but we realised they are not so brilliant when things get tough. Then other teams started and we saw it in the 2005 Ashes. Australia are very good on verbal things, but when we were shouted at we used to give something back. They realised we were a threat."None of the Australians have been put under pressure, with India and Pakistan going out [of the tournament]. That's why I want to see Sri Lanka put them under pressure."Sri Lankan coach Tom Moody, who played in Australia's 1999 World Cup-winning side, said Australia's uncompromising style of play was admired, not resented."They have that aura. There is no question about that," he said. "They play a brand of cricket which is admired and respected. A lot of people call it bullying but I would not call it that."Ranatunga believes Sri Lanka's bowling attack is much stronger than that of the 1996 team, with Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and explosive opener and part-time spinner Sanath Jayasuriya the survivors of that side, but he expressed concerns about the batting depth.From the 1996 Australian team, only Ponting and Glenn McGrath are at this World Cup.Ranatunga said Muralitharan was more of a handful for opposition batsmen than Warne since developing his doosra and the more subtle variations on his off-break.The Super Eights game between Australia and Sri Lanka tonight, Sydney time, will help shape positions for the semi-finals, both sides angling to finish on top and play a semi-final against the fourth-ranked team in St Lucia. The final will in Barbados on April 28.</blockquote>

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