Michael Clarke will look to put his first Test series as Australia’s captain beyond Sri Lanka’s reach when the second match opens in Pallekele on Thursday.
The tourists won the first Test on a controversial dusty wicket in Galle by 125 runs last week to take the lead in the three-match series, Australia’s first in Sri Lanka since 2004.
The Sri Lankan board faces sanctions from the International Cricket Council, which said on Monday that match referee Chris Broad had expressed his “concerns over the quality of the pitch” in his report.
Clarke’s predecessor, Ricky Ponting, also began his captaincy stint in Sri Lanka with a 3-0 sweep seven years ago and went on to become Test cricket’s most successful captain with 48 victories.
Australia’s emphatic win at Galle over the lacklustre Sri Lankans suggests a similar whitewash is a distinct possibility, but Clarke was not taking anything for granted. afp