Pallekelle: Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has issued a warning to Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews that he will be under pressure to perform and lead his side in the three-Test series that begins in Pallekele on Tuesday.Hosts Sri Lanka will look to put behind the disappointing England tour, in which Mathews’ side failed to win a single game across three formats. “Look, he’s under pressure,” Starc was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. “He’d be under pressure after the English tour and as a captain he’ll have to go through that pressure and perform as well. And that’s something that Steve, for us, does really well. Full Cricket Scorecard: Sri Lanka vs Australia 2016, 1st Test at Pallekele
“He’s been fantastic as a captain and led from the front as well, so no doubt we’ll put a lot of pressure on Angelo to perform. He’s got to lead as captain, so he’ll be a big wicket for us along with [Dinesh] Chandimal. For their bowlers [Rangana] Herath is the most experienced one and one that we’ll try and counter.” READ: Sri Lanka vs Australia 2016: Mitchell Starc can sail past 300 Test wickets, says Craig McDermott
The 26-year-old pacer, who looked in good touch during the warm-up game in Colombo, said he was relieved that Sri Lankan squad won’t feature all-time greats Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene as well as Tillakaratne Dilshan. “It’s fantastic to not see the three big names line up against us,” Starc said. “There were a few tough moments with those experienced batsmen in the line-up. They’re obviously a bit light on [experience] in the Sri Lankan team. They are coming off a series defeat in England, but back in their home conditions, they know it best and they’ll be up for a fight. READ: Allan Donald feels Mitchell Starc will be vital to Australia’s success in Test series against Sri Lanka
“We’ll have to be at our best, but at the same time if we can make some early inroads and expose that inexperience, we’ve definitely got a fantastic bowling line-up to go through them.
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