Awesome Aussies show their class (25 August 1999)

25 August 1999

Awesome Aussies show their class

Elmo Rodrigopulle

The awesome Australians showed the reasons why they are the World Champions in one-day cricket by completely outplaying both, the Sri Lankans and the Indians in the first two games of the Aiwa Cup tourney in Galle.

After a near two month hibernation from the game after winning the World Cup the most prized trophy in one-day cricket, the Aussies showed that they are naturals when it comes to any form of cricket, the ease in which they dumped their opponents.

Stephen Waugh's Aussies are well organised. They are tight, elegant and ruthless when it comes to competition. Be it batting, bowling or fielding, they are well drilled and at the moment are a side that can rarely go wrong.

Even without the fearsome spearhead Glen McGrath, they are a formidable bowling side with Fleming, Gillespe, Warne, Moody and Symonds. And when it comes to batting they have stylish and powerful hitters in Gilchrist, Waugh bros. Symonds, Ponting, Moody, Lehman and Bevan. Their fielding is brilliant.

The Aussies are on a roll and they are out to jealously guard their hard won one-day world champion status and if they play in the same from the Aiwa Cup and many other trophies will certainly adorn their shelves.

The Aussies are a side that every aspiring youngster could watch and learn from. With them there is no letting up. They will fight to the very end and take every rule to the edge because losing is anathema to them.

As for the Sri Lankans who came out sans their most talented and experienced one day campaigners Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva after nearly a decade, they seem to be a side that can get better with time.

Out for the first time under new captain Sanath Jayasuriya, the Lankans played good cricket but not good enough to bring them victory. While the manner in which they fielded and bowled was encouraging there was no excuse for the seasoned batting campaigners - Jayasuriya, Jayawardena and Atapattu the way they succumbed.

It was left to wicket keeper batsman Romesh Kaluwitharane to show how to the young 'uns Indika de Saram, Upul Chandana and Suresh Perera and bring the score to some respectability.

From what we saw of de Saram in his first innings in the big league, he has the correct temperament and the right strokes to carry him forward. He must show a lot more commitment.

Jayasuriya who made a memorable debut as captain caputyr five wickets, is in doubt for the next game and the Lankans will be hard pressed to field somebody with his talents.

Sri Lanka had opening bowlers and batsmen who were left handed. Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa in bowling and Sanath Jayasuriya and Avishka Gunewardena in batting. This certainly must be a world record.

The Indians under recalled skipper Sachin Tendulkar could not get their first game right. They were no match for the Aussies. But they are known to come from behind and the remaining games should see them in the frame.

It is nice to hear former Aussie speedster Jeff Thomson doing his thing on TV. Sri Lankan cricket fans would certainly have loved to see 'Thommo' in action when he was terrorising and having opposing batsmen ducking his lethal deliveries in association with 'demon' Dennis Lillee. The Lankans did not have the luck to see these two 'speed terrors' in action.

It must be recalled that it was 'Thommo' who sent two of our batsmen, Sunil Wettimuny and Duleep Mendis to hospital during a 1975 World Cup game in England with two thunderbolts.

Had Thomson not felled these two batsmen, Sri Lanka could have got within reach of that big Aussie score and even beaten them. Nice to have you with us 'Thommo'.

Source :: The Daily News (https://www.lanka.net/lakehouse/)