Battle lost for the war

Full credit to Sri Lanka for their magnificent win in Sydney last night. Christopher O'Leary reports, Australia showed they are continuing their regeneration for life beyond the Ashes and World Cup.

You don’t have to be a boffin to know Australia did not field their best players last night, so subsequently they needed 51 runs for victory off the final ball.

The Aussies kept the war in their favour however by restricting Sri Lanka from taking the bonus point and the series lead.

If the match had decided the world’s greatest cricketing nation, then selectors would have manhandled Shane Warne away from television contracts and into his coloured pyjamas.

The game didn’t, so Australia mad sure it retained the series’ lead and continue trying new faces without turning the series into a farce.

At full strength the home side is not invincible. It’s unlikely Sri Lanka or South Africa though could beat an on-song Australia given their performances so far.

Australia did lose to the Proteas in Brisbane, but they did so because they batted far too recklessly.

Sri Lanka has beaten Australia and South Africa, but they’ve done so on the back of in-form batsmen, such as Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya, who cannot be relied upon to always produce big scores.

Australia meanwhile has won matches without fielding their best team.

Phil Jaques’ 94 in Melbourne last Friday was exceptional, but he was omitted for Simon Katich’s deserved return. James Hopes did get a run last night and while his bowling is not up to scratch, his at the death innings of 43 shows he is a development player.

Captain Ricky Ponting said after the match that the current situation allows trials of new players, but "if we make the finals then there won’t be too many changes then."

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