Sri Lanka out to complete whitewash

I am trying to resist the temptation to say I told you so and instead will concentrate on praising Sri Lanka's efforts in already wrapping up a one-day series win with one match still to go. The Aussies have lost seven matches in a row in all cricket and one more, in the third and final match on Sunday, would be a new, unwanted record.

The problem for Michael Clarke and co - Ricky Ponting is not even choosing to play this one - is that it is a strong possibility that they will make it eight losses in a row and go into the Ashes without having tasted success for rather a long time.

After their stunning rally to win the opening match, Sri Lanka cruised home in match two and it would take a brave man to bet against them from making it three. While some sides might slack off at this stage, with the series won, they are all on win-bonuses, while the bragging rights of whitewashing Australia cannot be over-estimated.

Bet365 make the hosts favourites at 4/6 to win Sunday's final match and it's fair to say that the Aussies must be absolutely desperate for a win. No one wants to be part of that kind of history, but pure and simple, they need a win, or they will go into the first Test against England not knowing how to get over the line.

Original series preview
The Ashes may be just three weeks away but Australia have a pesky one-day series with Sri Lanka to get out of the way first - beginning on Wednesday - and it could just be that they are vulnerable to a touring side who are playing good cricket.

Amazingly, Australia haven't won any international match, not even a Twenty20, since July, but in truth that's only a few matches, even if they were well beaten in India and humbled by Sri Lanka in the one-off Twenty20 match.

So this series becomes all about restoring the confidence that comes from winning matches and building momentum to take into the first Test against England in Brisbane, beginning on Nov 23.

Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz and Michael Hussey return to the squad for the series and though Ponting and Hauritz won't play in the opening match, bet365 still think they deserve favouritism, making them 4/9 to win the series, with Sri Lanka 7/4.

Sri Lanka may never have won a series in Australia but this could be a great opportunity for them. Muttiah Muralitharan is back in the side - he has only retired from Tests - and so Sri Lanka go into the contests full of confidence, quietly building towards next year's World Cup.

The biggest thing in their favour, though, could be the fact that a number of the Australians appear to be struggling for form. Michael Hussey is under pressure for his place while Mitchell Johnson is stil good one day and then ragged the next.

A 2-1 win for Australia is the favourite in the correct score markets, at 6/4, while a win for Sri Lanka by the same score is next at 23/10. A 3-0 whitewash for Australia is next at 12/5 and then it's 9/1 that Sri Lanka win all three games.

Ponting is favourite to be top-scorer for Australia across the three matches at 11/4 but when you take into account that he won't even play in the first game, that's not the most generous of prices.

Instead, Shane Watson, one of those who is in good form, is a better bet at the same price, especially as he opens the batting and so gets first crack each time. Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Shaun Marsh are all 9/2, while Hussey is 7/1 and Cameron White 8/1.

The ever-brilliant Kumar Sangakkara is favourite for Sri Lanka at 5/2, ahead of former skipper Mahela Jayawardene at 11/4. Tillekeratne Dilshan is a 3/1 chance and Upul Tharanga 5/1 but the chances are the winner will come from the top two.

All in all, you'd still expect Australia to just about hold on, but at the odds, they are distinctly vulnerable and Sri Lanka could just pinch it to insert more doubt into the Aussies' minds going into the Ashes.