Tri-Nation Series: Australia look to seal trophy

Clarke hopes for improvement as hosts face Sri Lanka today.

ADELAIDE:

After a thrilling finish to the first of the best-of-three finals, Australia will look to seal the Tri-Nation Series trophy when they face Sri Lanka in Adelaide today.

The hosts prevailed by just 15 runs despite setting the World Cup finalists 322 to chase for victory and leaving skipper Michael Clarke concerned about his team’s ability to close out One-Day International (ODI) matches.

David Hussey, who took four for 43 with his off-spin in Sri Lanka’s innings, said the Australians were desperate to kill off the finals series in consecutive matches.

“This is a chance to win a series — not all of us have actually won a series in Australia in ODI cricket,” Hussey told reporters. “So it’s very important we actually close out the series in a professional manner.”

Australia were at full stretch to contain some late lusty Sri Lankan hitting after Mahela Jayawardene’s men had clawed back from 144 for six in the 31st over.

Nuwan Kulasekara slammed 73 from 43 balls and Upul Tharanga hit 60 from 67 to get Sri Lanka within sight of a remarkable victory before last-man Lasith Malinga was dismissed with four balls left.

Hussey said Australia’s bowlers failed to deliver. “The conditions were a bit greasy and it was very hard to stand up for the fast-bowlers.

“But if we can just execute, we will go a long way.”

There are, however, some anxious moments for Australia as explosive opening batsman David Warner faces a pre-match fitness test.

Warner is in doubt with a sore groin injured during his man-of-the-match that prevented him from fielding in Sri Lanka’s innings.

‘Bowlers have work to do’

Meanwhile, Australia captain Michael Clarke berated his much-vaunted bowling attack as not good enough.

“A win is a win, but we have a lot of work to do,” said a frustrated Clarke. “It hasn’t been good enough all series. It continues to let us down.”

On the other hand, Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, who has had to deal with a raft of injury problems in his squad, was more upbeat after the game than the winning captain.

“It shows a lot of character that we got back into it,” said Jayawardene. “But unfortunately we are 1-0 down in a three-match final and we need to improve to beat them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2012.