CAIRNS, July 8: Australia captain Ricky Ponting said on Thursday he was strongly considering sending Sri Lanka in to bat first in Friday's second Test to capitalise on the touring side's poor batting form.
Sri Lanka were bowled out in Darwin last week for 97 and 162 in the first Test of the two-match series as Australia clinched victory by 149 runs in just three days of play.
"There might be a little bit of moisture about tomorrow morning," Ponting told reporters. "If conditions suggest you should bowl that will certainly come into consideration in the morning.
"Their batsmen are going to be under pressure coming into this Test the way they batted in the first game." Ponting, who missed last week's first Test because of a family death, said his tactical thinking for the second Test was influenced by former skipper Steve Waugh.
"That's the way Steve used to think. When you have got them under pressure get them back out there as soon as you can again and try and keep them under pressure," Ponting said. "I'm not sure their batsmen will be looking forward to batting out there.
"The conditions are going to be perfect for us so they're going to find it tough to win this game. "For a bowler like Glenn (McGrath), who lands the ball in the right area most of the time, he'll make the most of these conditions and I'm sure you'll see him bowl well."
Ponting said he would be watching video footage of young right-arm paceman Lasith Malinga, who took six wickets on his debut last week and bowls with an unusual slinging action.
"He bowled well in Darwin. He bowled quick and he used the short ball well," Ponting said. "There's no doubt that with the extra pace and bounce here he'll enjoy these conditions."
Ponting said his players were all behind the world record attempt by leg-spinner Shane Warne, who needs eight wickets to pass Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan's world mark of 527.
"This record would mean a fair bit to Shane and the team if he managed to do that," Ponting said. "I'm sure he'll be given enough opportunities to take the wickets required and I'm sure he'll like the conditions here as well because they are very similar to Brisbane and Shane rates Brisbane as his favourite ground in Australia to bowl spin on."
Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu said himself, fellow opener Sanath Jayasuriya and the next two batsmen in the order, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, needed to make big scores to put the side in a winning position.
"We haven't been let down by our bowling in the recent past, even without Murali," Atapattu said. "The guys have done a brilliant job. We got Australia out for two hundred (207 and 201) so you can't ask more from them.
"It's the batsmen who should contribute more. We are working on that. Hopefully it will come sooner rather than later." The skipper said Sri Lanka were considering including specialist glove man Romesh Kaluwitharana to take some pressure off batsman/wicket-keeper Sangakkara. Australia have made one change, recalling Ponting and dropping Matthew Elliott, who made 1 and 0 last week.
TEAMS:
AUSTRALIA: Ricky Ponting (captain), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath.
