SYDNEY, Dec 12: Australia plans to avenge big-match hidings from Sri Lanka and experiment with World Cup initiatives during the limited overs triangular series.

Australia meet England in the opening day-night game here Friday but the hosts are looking forward to the prospect of facing Sanath Jayasuriya’s team.

Sri Lanka soundly beat Australia by seven wickets in the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy at Colombo last September.

Australia’s seven-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup final still ranks with many of the current players as the worst moment of their careers.

“They’re a very good side, they proved that in Sri Lanka a few months ago,” captain Ricky Ponting said Thursday.

“We were disappointed with the way we played against them in Colombo in that semifinal — they were talking it up pretty big over there at the time and they reminded us they had beaten us in a few big games over the last few years.”

But Ponting said the Sri Lankans would not find life so easy against pacemen Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee on bouncing, quicker Australian pitches.

Australia’s first match against Sri Lanka is on Dec 22 in Perth conducive to fast bowling.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who has failed to recover fully from a hernia operation, will be sent home from England’s ill-fated tour and replaced by Adam Hollioake.—AFP