Cricket: Australian team learn from Fleming

SYDNEY - Australia have turned to the New Zealand cricket side, notably captain Stephen Fleming, in an attempt to negate offspinning maestro Muttiah Muralitharan during the Australians' tour of Sri Lanka.

After arriving in Colombo yesterday, Australian coach John Buchanan revealed that his staff had examined video footage of Fleming's recent performances against Sri Lanka - including his brilliant, undefeated innings of 274 during the 2002-03 series.

In nine tests against the Sri Lankans, Fleming has averaged 72. But rather than focus on raw figures, the Australian coaching staff have been most captivated by Fleming's efforts against Muralitharan on Sri Lankan pitches, hoping they will provide clues in unravelling cricket's greatest spin-bowling conundrum.

Muralitharan has dismissed Fleming only three times in tests.

"The main thing will be for the batsmen to talk a little bit about it," said Buchanan. "We've got a couple of bits and pieces of information on how other teams have played here successfully, so it's really putting it all into the melting pot, and for each player to make the adjustments if they need to.

"It was probably New Zealand, and Fleming in particular. So we've got some information there that we'll share with everybody. But also I think probably the experience of the likes of [Matthew] Hayden playing spin in India will be of benefit.

"Obviously Muralitharan is a key player for them, but I think we'd be silly if we just believed that if we negated Murali we've got Sri Lanka beaten. Chaminda Vaas has always shown he's a definite wicket-taker and what he does is then set up the scene for someone like Murali and the rest of the spinners."

- NZPA