We are leaving nothing to chance: Tim Paine

A flat performance against India in Melbourne is afresh in Tim Paine's mind.

Australia might have secured a 1-0 lead against Sri Lanka in the ongoing two-match series but recent performance against India will be afresh on their minds as they aim to continue to extend the good work at Manuka Oval from Friday.

After conceding a 1-0 lead to world’s top-ranked India in Adelaide, Australia bounced back with a terrific performance in the second Test in Perth last year. However, the following defeat in Melbourne was highlighted by a dull show which eventually proved decisive in the four-match series.

Cautious by the changing fortunes, captain Tim Paine is hoping his team will maintain the winning attitude and not leave anything to chance despite a vastly different challenge that Sri Lanka presents.

“We’ve spoken a little bit about our attitude, the way we turn up for our two training sessions here and tomorrow morning,” Paine said. “We touched on how we had a great win in Perth against India and then I thought we turned up pretty poorly and really flat in Melbourne and started that Test match pretty ordinarily. But then you get a good side like India in front of you and we really couldn’t reel them back in.”

He continued, “It’s just been making sure our attitude to this Test is spot on and we’re leaving nothing to chance. If we do that, start as well as we can tomorrow and put Sri Lanka on the back foot where we finished in Brisbane. That’s been the message. A lot can change in six months but performances this summer will be taken into account, every Test match you play is really important, this one because we want to win the series, we haven’t won a series for a while.”

Australia steamrolled Sri Lanka for an innings and 40 runs win in Brisbane and will be eyeing a clean sweep when the series recommences with Manuka Oval making its Test debut. It will also serve as an opportunity for few to make their claims for the all-important Ashes series in England post the ICC World Cup.

“Going forward we want to start building some momentum and having some guys that are performing around this group. Having said that there is plenty of opportunity for guys at the back end of the season for pressing their claims with the Dukes balls with a big series coming up, it will count toward that but it is not the be all and end all,” Paine said.