Cricket: Aussies want stable bowlers

Vice-captain Shane Watson has refused to be drawn on the likely bowling line-up Australia will take into the first test in Cape Town this week.

There are five fast bowlers in the squad but it seems Mitchell Johnson (nine wickets for 112 in a tour game), Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle are the favourites to form a three-pronged attack with Nathan Lyon as the spinner. However, the slower conditions at Newlands may keep stump-to-stump bowler Trent Copeland in the frame.

The 25-year-old took only one wicket in Australia's win over South Africa A but he performed well in Sri Lanka and could be viewed as a nice balance for the explosive approach of Johnson. Back in 2006, another medium-pacer, Stuart Clark, took nine wickets in Cape Town on his test debut for Australia and Copeland would view Newlands as his best-suited deck in South Africa.

Fast youngster Pat Cummins is also in the mix but his chance is more likely to come if Australia feel a change is required for the second test on the bouncier wicket at The Wanderers, Johannesburg.

Harris is a certainty, despite being rested from the tour match, but fitness concerns remain an ongoing issue for him. Siddle was impressive with overall figures of five for 92 in Potchefstroom and is a deserved favourite.

Watson said the bowlers will continue to fight for their places in net sessions: "There's always different spots up for grabs at times but in the end I think with the way we performed in Sri Lanka means we're going to have a pretty stable, balanced team. There's no doubt that Mitch bowled beautifully throughout this [tour] game ... I think Peter Siddle bowled well.

"We've obviously got Ryan Harris to come back as well to play so it's going to be interesting for selectors."

Former test opener Alviro Petersen, who was controversially dropped by South Africa for the coming series, said Johnson was the key for Australia. Petersen made 103 in the second innings of the tour match against the tourists and said he also saw potential for Copeland.

"With his pace, you must hit good areas and I think he did. I'd like to see how he fares on a decent batting wicket," Petersen said of Copeland. "Johnson is a world class bowler and he's an attacking player and he has got an 'x-factor'. He can change a game in one session." Meanwhile, Sri Lanka removed Pakistan's openers early to gain an upper hand on the second day of the third and final cricket test at Sharjah Stadium yesterday.

Sri Lanka, seeking a series-levelling win after losing the second test by nine wickets in Dubai, removed Mohammad Hafeez (six) and Taufiq Umar (19) as Pakistan closed on 2-35 in reply to their rivals' first innings total of 413. The first test in Abu Dhabi ended in a draw.

Pakistan looked shaky from the start as Hafeez was dismissed in the fifth over of the innings, edging left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara to slip for Mahela Jayawardene to take a simple catch.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath then struck in his third over, inducing Umar to come out of the crease to have him stumped by wicket-keeper Kaushal Silva, much to the disappointment of a holiday crowd of near 8,000 made up of Pakistan expats.

At stumps, Azhar was unbeaten on 10 and Younis Khan yet to get off the mark with Pakistan trailing by 378 runs.

Earlier, Saeed Ajmal led a Pakistan fightback with four wickets for 132 after Sri Lanka, well placed at three 300 for three, lost five wickets for 59 runs before they were guided past 400 by a ninth wicket stand of 54 between Silva (39) and Herath (34 not out). Umar Gul ably supported Ajmal with 3-76, but late additions to the Sri Lankan total frustrated Pakistan who had the upper hand in the first two sessions.

-AAP/AFP