Lanka have Australia on the mat

And Ricky Ponting amp; Co,who had lost the first match to the West Indies,betrayed no signs or,for that matter,intent of making amends,as they came up with a pedestrian display of batsmanship against Sri Lanka in a crunch Group C match to inch precariously close to the exit door.

Opting to bat first,Australia struggled to score off a tight Sri Lankan bowling,and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. It was courtesy some late hitting by Mitchell Johnson 28 of 13 balls,David Hussey 28 off 22 and Brett Lee 15 off 5 that they managed to score 159 for nine.

At the time of going to press,Sri Lanka were cruising at 86/2 in 10 overs.

Johnson and Hussey added 41 runs in 27 balls for the seventh wicket and Lee hit two fours and a six to help the team cross 150,after they were tottering at 94 for six in 15 overs. The signs were ominous right from the start. For the second successive match,they were down to 1-1 in the first over. If in the last match it was Shane Watson who was out for a duck,this time it was David Warner who was back in the hut without opening his account.

Ponting flatters to deceive

Ponting started rather well with a classy backfoot drive off left-arm spinner Sanath Jayasuriya,who was introduced in the second over by Kumar Sangakkara. After Watson had thwacked Isuru Udana for two boundaries and a six,the Australian skipper also joined the party,hitting Lasith Malinga for three consecutive fours.

The revival didnt last too long though. Sangakkara introduced Ajantha Mendis in the sixth over and the duo seemed to have no clue as to how to handle him. Watson survived a confident appeal off the first ball of the over,but Ponting perished on the last,having made 25 off 15. Mendis then got Watson 22 off 21 balls in his next over,who was out leg before,trying to sweep the spinner.

Mendis and Murali then choked the Australian batsmen,making even scoring singles difficult,let alone boundaries.