PUNE, India, 3 November 2005 — Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu is hopeful all rounder Sanath Jayasuriya will be fit enough to bowl in today’s fourth One-Day International against India.
Jayasuriya aggravated his right shoulder shortly before the tour after dislocating it in August and has been used only as a batsman.
Sri Lanka risk conceding the seven-match series in Pune after going 3-0 down.
“Sanath has bowled in the nets the last two days and I intend using him tomorrow,” Atapattu said yesterday.
Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s most-capped player, was less confident of bowling his left-arm spin in Pune. Jayasuriya has taken 267 wickets in 342 one-dayers and is one of only four players to make more than 10,000 runs in one-day matches. He has struggled with the bat in the series so far with scores of 27, nought and 15 as Sri Lanka have looked way below their best against India.
Australia Drop MacGill for West Indies Series Opener
In Brisbane, Australia have dropped leg-spinner Stuart MacGill for the first Test against West Indies starting at the Gabba in Brisbane today.
MacGill was named 12th man after the selectors opted for New South Wales fast bowler Nathan Bracken in one of two changes to the team that beat the World XI in Sydney last month.
As expected, Mike Hussey comes in for his long-awaited Test debut after opener Justin Langer ruled himself out with a broken rib.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting said Bracken got the nod ahead of MacGill because of his ability to swing the ball at the Gabba.
“He has got a great record up here and he will bowl well on that wicket,” Ponting told a news conference.
“There’s still a little bit of moisture in the surface and with maybe a little bit of weather around, that’s the way we’ve decided to go.” The inclusion of Bracken and Hussey is the latest in a series of changes to the Australian team since their Ashes defeat in England.
Middle-order batsman Damien Martyn gave way to all-rounder Shane Watson and pacemen Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz were also dropped, giving the side a relatively new look at the start of the domestic summer.
The Australians have quickly got over the disappointment of losing the Ashes, as evidenced by their crushing win over the World XI in October, and the once-mighty West Indies clearly face a formidable task.
