Sri Lanka won’t like fast Cairns wicket: Hayden

DARWIN (Australia): Australia’s Matthew Hayden is expecting his team’s pace attack to make life uncomfortable for Sri Lanka’s batsmen in the second Test in Cairns starting on Friday.

“The Cairns wicket will bounce and it will be really quick and they (Sri Lanka) won’t like that,” opening batsman Hayden told reporters here on Monday.

Australia ripped through Sri Lanka for 97 and 162 on a seaming Darwin pitch last week to win the first Test of the two-match series by 149 runs inside three days. “In Cairns, it is a great opportunity for our quicks on a good, fast, hard track,” said former world record holder Hayden. “It’s a really quick wicket so that will definitely suit the likes of (Glenn) McGrath, (Jason) Gillespie and Kasper (Michael Kasprowicz), who are in terrific form.” McGrath’s seven-wicket haul here after a 12-month injury layoff took his tally to 437 and moved him into fourth on the all-time list. Australia’s Shane Warne needs eight wickets to break Muttiah Muralitharan’s world record. reuters

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