Warne chases Murali's shadow

Shane Warne's pursuit of Muttiah Muralitharan's world record for the most Test wickets is certain to grab the limelight as Australia take on Sri Lanka at the Marrara Oval in Darwin tomorrow, the first Test in the two-match Top End tour. Sri Lanka have never won a Test match on Australian soil - they've suffered five defeats in six attempts - but the fact that they're playing in conditions that are just as alien to the average Australian cricketer might just even out the contest.

This is only the second year in which cricket has been played in the Australian winter - both Darwin and Cairns hosted their first Tests against Bangladesh last year. Tony Ware, the curator at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, has prepared Darwin's drop-in pitch, and it's expected to be a good one for batting.

Warne has 517 wickets, ten behind Muralitharan, who opted out of the tour for personal reasons. Though he recently broke a bone in his left hand while playing county cricket for Hampshire, Warne has been passed fit to play. The surface, however, is unlikely to afford him the same joy as the pitches in Sri Lanka three months ago, when he made such a memorable return to Test cricket after his 12-month ban, with 26 wickets in three games.

With a family bereavement having forced Ricky Ponting to drop out, Adam Gilchrist leads the side for only the third time in Tests. He has promised that the ballyhoo as Warne goes for the record won't distract his team from its main focus - winning the series and maintaining Australia's lead atop the ICC Test Championship table.

Sri Lanka will take little comfort from Ponting's absence, given that his replacement, Matthew Elliott, was the most prolific batsman in the Pura Cup for Victoria last season, and is also a proven Test performer. A year ago, Elliott's international career was thought to be over, but grit and sheer weight of runs have hauled him back into contention after five years out of the side. He will take Ponting's spot at No. 3 in the order.

Australian cricket aficionados will also be keeping a close watch on Glenn McGrath, who has been below his best since his return from last year's ankle surgery. With South Australia's Shaun Tait offering a younger and quicker alternative, McGrath will have to be on his game to retain his place, given the unsentimental nature of the Australian selection panel. It also remains to be seen whether he will share the new ball with Jason Gillespie, after Michael Kasprowicz performed well on the tour of Sri Lanka.

For Sri Lanka, much will depend on the bowling of Chaminda Vaas, who will shoulder a considerable burden in Murali's absence. Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will also need to make plenty of runs if they are to avoid a repeat of the humiliating 3-0 whitewash they suffered at home. Sangakkara, at least, is in fine form: he cuffed 203 as Sri Lanka won their one and only warm-up game, against the Northern Territory Chief Minister's XI in Darwin last week.

Sri Lanka's overall record against Australia makes for dismal reading, with one win and ten losses in their 16 Tests. Recent encounters between the sides have been heated affairs, largely as a result of the Sri Lankans' anger over what they perceived as Australian cricket's unjust victimisation of Muralitharan. In conditions more redolent of Colombo than Melbourne, that sense of injustice could be just the spur they need to make a match of what appears to be a formality.

Australia (probable): 1 Justin Langer, 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Matthew Elliott, 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Darren Lehmann, 6 Simon Katich, 7 Adam Gilchrist (capt and wk), 8 Shane Warne, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Michael Kasprowicz, 11 Glenn McGrath.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Marvan Atapattu (capt), 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Romesh Kaluwitharana (wk), 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Nuwan Zoysa, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Lasith Malinga.