Freelance

I was expecting Australia to dominate this test, but the Day 1 result of Sri Lanka all out for 174 with Australia 60/0 in reply was even more one-sided then I had imagined.  Not that I'm complaining...

I'm starting to get the feeling that this series may end up similarly to the recent England vs India series - with a sub-continent team tired and wilting in the face of mounting pressure from an enthusiastic and determined team on the rise.

There's a big differrence in the pitch quality from the 1st test which is good to see.  I'm expecting the Aussies to be able to put on some very decent runs in the 1st innings and if the pitch starts to flatten they might even get as far as a declaration some time after tea on Day 3 with a couple of centurions amongst the top 6.

The big question then is whether the Sri Lankans can dig in for a decent 2nd innings score on a flattenning pitch.  Currently the draw price is a very juicy 5.90 so I'm laying off a portion of my Aussie green at 1.30 and diving into the draw for an even bigger green.  I figure that if Australia bat well into Day 3 (as I expect) then the draw price is bound to shorten anyway and there will be opportunity to re-asses the pitch and lay off in a couple of days if neccessary.