April 26 2007
Australia have looked imperious throughout the World Cup, not only winning every game but doing so without ever really breaking sweat.
It didn't bode well for the rest of the opposition lying in wait when Ricky Ponting proclaimed that their defeat of England in the Super Eights as being their 'biggest test so far'. This was a game remember that Australia won by seven wickets and at something of a canter. Chilling stuff.
Indeed, they overcame Sri Lanka, their opponents in Sunday's final, with similar ease, although a big caveat to that result was of course the absence of Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga.
So can Sri Lanka, unquestionably the other standout side in the tournament, beat the Aussies? We think they can, and here's why:
1 - The return of Lasith
The most crucial element to Australia's win in the Super Eights was that Sri Lanka were without their three best bowlers, who will be back for the final.
Australia have only faced Lasith Malinga twice before, and that in his opening two Tests, when he was still raw. And even then he took 10 wickets in four innings.
Now Malinga has established himself as one of the most threatening quick bowlers in the world, and has caused all sorts of problems throughout this World Cup.
2 - Ego
It seems that Australia - and especially Matthew Hayden - simply can't help themselves when it comes to attacking opposition bowlers.
It's a tactic that has largely worked throughout the World Cup, but the big difference is that they haven't come up against anything like Malinga, Vaas or Murali yet.
The temptation to attack Malinga's skiddy raw pace and Vaas' canny bowling pay prove too difficult to resist for the likes of Hayden, and that could well be Australia's downfall.
3 - Batting depth
Sri Lanka have showed that they are not just a one-trick pony when it comes to their batting line-up.
The conventional wisdom before the tournament was that if Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara failed then they would struggle, but skipper Mahela Jayawardene has dispelled that myth with some cracking performances, culminating in his near-perfect knock in the semi-final against New Zealand.
Upul Tharanga, who promised much but initially disappointed in the Caribbean, looks like he is coming into excellent form at just the right time, while Chamara Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan have also looked in good touch.
4 - Pressure
Australia haven't been put under sustained pressure at any point in the tournament.
Only twice have they looked in any sort of trouble; England were 164-2 and looking set for a big total in the Super Eights clash before the customary collapse, and South Africa were charging towards a mammoth victory target in the Group A game before a spectacular runout and Graeme Smith's cramp halted their progress.
Sri Lanka have the players that can do just that. Jayasuriya can easily give them the sort of explosive start that Matthew Hayden has for Australia, while Vaas has taken at least one wicket early on in all of his games bar one.
5 - No contest?
The final point is that Australia simply aren't as battle hardened as Sri Lanka have been in this tournament.
While Australia have cruised through to the final, Tom Moody's men have pipped England in a final-over thriller, as well as coming millimetres away from beating South Africa at the last in the Super Eights.
Given that the final will surely be closer than some of the non-contests that Australia have sleep-walked their way through, their past battles will stand the Sri Lankans in good stead.
Australia have looked imperious throughout the World Cup, not only winning every game but doing so without ever really breaking sweat.
It didn't bode well for the rest of the opposition lying in wait when Ricky Ponting proclaimed that their defeat of England in the Super Eights as being their 'biggest test so far'. This was a game remember that Australia won by seven wickets and at something of a canter. Chilling stuff.
Indeed, they overcame Sri Lanka, their opponents in Sunday's final, with similar ease, although a big caveat to that result was of course the absence of Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga.
So can Sri Lanka, unquestionably the other standout side in the tournament, beat the Aussies? We think they can, and here's why:
1 - The return of Lasith
The most crucial element to Australia's win in the Super Eights was that Sri Lanka were without their three best bowlers, who will be back for the final.
Australia have only faced Lasith Malinga twice before, and that in his opening two Tests, when he was still raw. And even then he took 10 wickets in four innings.
Now Malinga has established himself as one of the most threatening quick bowlers in the world, and has caused all sorts of problems throughout this World Cup.
2 - Ego
It seems that Australia - and especially Matthew Hayden - simply can't help themselves when it comes to attacking opposition bowlers.
It's a tactic that has largely worked throughout the World Cup, but the big difference is that they haven't come up against anything like Malinga, Vaas or Murali yet.
The temptation to attack Malinga's skiddy raw pace and Vaas' canny bowling pay prove too difficult to resist for the likes of Hayden, and that could well be Australia's downfall.
3 - Batting depth
Sri Lanka have showed that they are not just a one-trick pony when it comes to their batting line-up.
The conventional wisdom before the tournament was that if Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara failed then they would struggle, but skipper Mahela Jayawardene has dispelled that myth with some cracking performances, culminating in his near-perfect knock in the semi-final against New Zealand.
Upul Tharanga, who promised much but initially disappointed in the Caribbean, looks like he is coming into excellent form at just the right time, while Chamara Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan have also looked in good touch.
4 - Pressure
Australia haven't been put under sustained pressure at any point in the tournament.
Only twice have they looked in any sort of trouble; England were 164-2 and looking set for a big total in the Super Eights clash before the customary collapse, and South Africa were charging towards a mammoth victory target in the Group A game before a spectacular runout and Graeme Smith's cramp halted their progress.
Sri Lanka have the players that can do just that. Jayasuriya can easily give them the sort of explosive start that Matthew Hayden has for Australia, while Vaas has taken at least one wicket early on in all of his games bar one.
5 - No contest?
The final point is that Australia simply aren't as battle hardened as Sri Lanka have been in this tournament.
While Australia have cruised through to the final, Tom Moody's men have pipped England in a final-over thriller, as well as coming millimetres away from beating South Africa at the last in the Super Eights.
Given that the final will surely be closer than some of the non-contests that Australia have sleep-walked their way through, their past battles will stand the Sri Lankans in good stead.
