H' i KANDY. Sri Lan-
ka, Sept 8 (AFP): A I confident Sri Lan-. I ka will face Aus-। tralia here Thurs-J day with sacked kipper Arjuna Ranatunga con-ning self-proclaimed enemy Shane Warne for the first time since their World Cup war of words.
Sri Lanka, who beat World Champions Australia at the Aiwa Cup one-day tournament last month, will try to consolidate their gains at the Asgiriya stadium in this central town. 72
miles (112 kilometres) from the capital Colombo.
Overshadowing the first Test is the appearance of demoted Ranatunga in his first game against Australia after his bitter exchanges with Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.
What Shane Warne wished for Sri Lanka at the opening of the World Cup in May came true two months later when Ranatunga and his deputy Ar-avinda de Silva were demoted in a major make-over of the national team.
Wame wrote in a column in London's Times newspaper in May that the sport would be better off without Ranatunga because of his on-field behaviour.
"Ranatunga might be a shrewd, experienced leader, but his batting is not what it was and he is terrible in the field,” Warne said. "Frankly, Sri Lanka - and the game overall -would be better off without him.
"Yes, there is plenty of animosity between Ranatunga and myself. I don't like him and I'm not in a club of one."
The leggie was subsequently reprimanded, fined and handed a suspended two-game ban.
Ranatunga's replacement. Sanath Jayasuriya and his Australian counterpart Steve Waugh said last month that both of them were keen to ensure good relations between their players.
Jayasuriya said Wednesday that he was confident his team would be able to give Australia, the unofficial Test champions, a good.run for their money following their success in the Aiwa Cup final.
'We are keen to perform well at this level of cricket as well. We are playing well together as a team and I expect my players to show the same commitment they showed during the Aiwa Clip," said Jayasuriya.
He makes his debut as Test captain. When he captained his country for the first time in a one-day international against Zimbabwe last year, Jayasuriya made a century.
The Sri Lankan selectors have recalled Ranatunga and De Silva to stabilise the middleorder. Both players were
dropped from the one-day squad following Sri Lanka's disastrous performance in the World Cup. "Their presence is vital for our success. They have the experience which none of us have," Jayasuriya said. "I hope they will give off their very best."
Sri Lanka brought in legspinner Upul Chandana to complement the off-spin of Muttiah Muralitharan. They have also included left-hander Russel Arnold into their squad, but where he will bat is to be decided.
Arnold is likely to bat at number three, a spot which has been occupied by vice captain Mahela Jayawardene.
Jayawardene was hit above the right eye by a ball from De Silva, at practice on Tuesday. The injury required three stitches. Team manager Chandra Schaffter said, the injury was not serious.
Australia is likely to recall ace leg-spinner Shane Warne ahead of rival spinner Stuart MacGill.
Warne whose place in the Test team was taken by MacGill during his absence, bowled himself into the reckoning with match figures of 5 for 111 in the 4-day practice game against a Board XI which Australia won by four wickets.
Miller, the oldest member of the Australian team at 35. bowled-his off-spinners with nagging accuracy against , the tour match to seal his place in the side.
TEAMS
Australia (from): S'tev'e Waugh (captain). Greg Blewett. •Michael Slater. Justin Langer. Mark Waugh. Ricky Ponting. Ian Healy. Colin Miller. Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath. Jason Gillespie. Damien Fleming.
Sri Lanka (from): Sanath Jayasuriya (captain). Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold. Ar-avinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Mahela Jayawardene, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Suresh Perera. Chaminda Vaas. Upul Chandana, Muthiah Muralitharan. Nuwan Zoysa, In-dika Gallage.
Umpires: Srini Venka-traghavan (India). Peter Manuel (Sri Lanka). TV umpire: B.C. Cooray, Match Referee: Cammie Smith (West Indies).