Clarke endorse Lyon call-up

Australia captain Michael Clarke has authorized the collection of the little-known Redbacks' off-spinner Nathan Lyon for the tour of Sri Lanka.

Lyon is the newest slow bowler to be given his shot in the post-Shane Warne era, the former Adelaide Oval grounds man plucked from near darkness and thrown a baggy green cap.

It highlights the collection panel's ongoing search for answers, but Clarke is throwing his full support at the back the untested rookie.

"I haven't seen much of Nathan Lyon. I've spoken to him but still haven't seen him face to face," Clarke admits before leaving for Sri Lanka.

"He's had a huge tour to Zimbabwe with Australia 'A' and I've hear some great information of his bowling over there. "He gets a chance to come to Sri Lanka and bowl in what are usually good spinning conditions."

"If you don't perform well as a team, new guys come in and get a chance and this is what's happen in Nathan's case. "He's surely got a lot of talent. It's about charitable him a go and seeing how he handles playing for Australia."

Lyon, who is by now in Sri Lanka with the T20 squad, will unite with Western Australian left-arm spinner Michael Beer, who played his one and only Test in last summer's Ashes series.

It is an inexpert spin line-up but Clarke is looking forward to seeing Lyon work in combination with Beer on the turning Sri Lankan pitches.

"I think we have a good grouping. We have a left-arm orthodox (Beer) and a right-arm finger spinner (Lyon)," he said.

"It's good to have two different spinners. As a bowling partnership in bike I think they can really work well together." While Australia is in rebuilding phase, much the same can be said of the Sri Lankans.

Champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who took a record 800 Test wickets, has connected leading pacemen Lasith Malinga and Chaminda Vaas in departure.

Clarke concedes Australia's task will be somewhat easier without that trio but warns the home side will present a huge challenge in all three Tests.

"It will absolutely help us not having those three fantastic players not playing," he said. "But I think they will be a lot more spirited in their own country. They love playing in their own conditions.

"They've got plenty of talent with bat and ball and plenty of experience." Clarke says the back problem that has plagued him all through his career is convenient and he is looking forward to the challenge of lifting Australia's flagging fortunes.

"It's a tour we're all keyed up about," he said. "This is the time for us to not only rebuild as a group but start this journey together.

"There are going to be some challenges and some tough battles but I am looking forward to be in the middle of it and trying to lead from the front with the bat."

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India expect for Sehwag to shine

A stressed India will be expecting Virender Sehwag to fire on all cylinders next to Northamptonshire in a practice match starting today.

Such was the clamor the electronic media to record every move of Sehwag that Gautam Gambhir's strong knocking session facing throw downs from fielding coach Trevor Penny and monitored by coach Duncan Fletcher largely went unnoticed.

While Sehwag is recurring from a shoulder injury, Gambhir had been rendered out of action because of the impact his right elbow received due to a ferocious Matt Prior sweep in the first Test at the Lord's last month.

Another wounded cricketer Zaheer Khan kept himself away from inside nets but his recovery has been on course and he has begun to bowl with growing vigor over the last three days.

Needless to say, all three will be keenly experiential in the two-day match. India would look to field all three of them in the third Test in Edgbaston on August 10 even if their presence and output is abridged to minimum in the two-day tie.

The match will be of equal anxiety for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who needs to do well with both the willow and the big gloves. And so it must be for Suresh Raina who has again got his critic going over his handling of short-pitched bowling.

Both Dhoni and Raina were two early turn-outs at the nets, along with Sehwag and Gambhir, as the visitors look to recover belief and respect in the eyes of millions of fans.

Within an hour, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman had shown up at the indoor nets as a determined India announces its intention to set the house in order.

The wicket in the middle, long engrained in the Indian mindset as one favouring the tweakers, is likely to be a complete contrast and extremely hopeful for fast bowlers. There is an even spread of grass in the middle and the pitch is no longer one which turned and bounced from the first morning and where Bishan Singh Bedi in the past, and Anil Kumble in the 1990's, picked up wickets abundantly.

It is also the same place where Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann earned their spurs. The hosts, leaders of the Division 2 County Table, are unlikely to roll out a red rug in reception.

They understand their role is to keep the visitors' morale down after England compressed the best Test side in the world at Lord's and Trent Bridge. Among the hosts' roll, is one the Indian fans would be familiar with - Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka who is now retired from international cricket.

Right-arm pacemen Jack Brooks too is highly valued, more so against the visiting teams as he did impress against the Australians two years ago. Lee Daggett and David Lucas, a right and left-arm quick respectively, both six feet and above, are unlikely to make it easy for the Indians.

In a strange way, this concentration on the part of hosts should suit the visitors who are looking to simulate the conditions they surely would face in Edgbaston, come August 10.

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Dilshan confident of retrieval form

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan is sure of retrieval form in the upcoming home series against Australia after a below-par presentation in England.

Dilshan manage to score only 23 runs in five one-day internationals against England. However, on Tuesday, the 34-year-old said he is happy with his preparation as he has scored abundance of runs in the domestic Twenty20 matches. He believes he will succeed in making dissimilarity in the upcoming series.

"I was back among the runs throughout the inter-provincial Twenty20 series," he said. "This series starts with two Twenty20 matches, so I have a lot of self-assurance that I can get back to form.

"We can't take it easy; we must play well to hit a team like Australia."

Australian Twenty20 captain, Cameron White, is satisfied with his team's training in spite of the fact that no warmup match is scheduled.

The series starts with the first of two Twenty20 matches on Saturday, followed by five ODIs and three Tests.

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Pears seek out Ajmal substitution

Worcestershire is on the chase for another overseas player to help them in the County Championship demotion "fighting".

The Pears will misplace Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal for the final few weeks of the season as he is due to go away from New Road club towards the end of this month.

The county's director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, is looking to reinforce the Royals' attack for the last three games as they battle to stay in the top flight.

They are at present 11 points from protection but do have a game in hand on fall rivals Yorkshire.

Former England wicketkeeper Rhodes said: "We are looking to bring in one more overseas player. We are in a dogfight against demotion and will do our best to add some more firepower.

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