EAST LONDON, March 15: Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya on Saturday confidently predicted World Cup defeat for defending champions Australia when the two sides come face-to-face in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.

“I think on that pitch we can win it,” said Jayasuriya after the Asian side had defeated Zimbabwe by 74 runs at Buffalo Park here on Saturday to qualify for the semifinals.

The St George’s Park wicket, where the semifinal will be played, is the slowest in the tournament and is expected to be a playground for Sri Lanka’s spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.

“It’s a pitch which will suit us. Anything can happen on the day and we will be playing hard cricket just like we did today.”—AFP