Pace is the ace up Australia’s sleeve at the World Twenty20 and vice-captain Shane Watson says Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium is offering plenty for the quicks.
Watson was a star with the bat and ball in Australia’s opening group match against Ireland on Wednesday night, taking 3-26 then top-scoring with 51 off 30 balls as Australia restricted Ireland to 7-123 and reached the target with seven wickets and 4.5 overs to spare.
Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc (2-20) was swinging the ball around while teenager Pat Cummins bowled with good pace but failed to claim a wicket.
Spinners Glenn Maxwell (1-12 off two overs) and Brad Hogg (1-22 off four) were also damaging while medium-pace bowling allrounder Dan Christian (0-11 off two) was tidy.
The door could be slightly ajar for veteran middle-order batsman and offspinner David Hussey to win his place back in the side later in the tournament for Christian as the pitch starts to offer more turn.
Watson says he’s expecting spin to play a bigger role in the coming weeks at Premadasa, which will host all of Australia’s group and Super Eights matches plus the finals.
Either way Australia have the variations in their attack to provide multiple wicket-taking threats.
“It had some really nice pace and bounce in it,” Watson said.
“I know throughout the tournament the more the wickets are going to be used, the more tired they’ll get and the more they will spin.
“We know it’s going to be a very big challenge against the better spinners in the world.
“We’ve got the guys to be able to make the most of that wicket that’s got a bit of pace and bounce as well.”
Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis, who has taken 6-16 previously against Australia and claimed a world-record haul of 6-8 in Hambantota earlier this week in the tournament’s opening game against Zimbabwe, is one spinner Australia may have to counter if they advance further into the tournament.
A more immediate concern will be West Indies’ spinner Sunil Narine, who last week was named the ICC’s Emerging Player of the Year and will take on the Australians on Saturday night.