Sri Lanka will pose toughest test, says Ponting

Ponting identified Australia's penultimate Super Eight match at Queen's Park as potentially the hardest challenge the champions have faced in the Caribbean over the past month.

Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody, meanwhile, has confirmed Malinga is likely to be missing from his line-up as he continues to nurse sore ankle ligaments.

But Ponting will give these opponents significant respect as Australia bid to continue their unbeaten record in the tournament against one of the two other teams already assured of a semi-final place.

''This will be the biggest test for us so far - on paper it looks that way,'' said the Australia captain.

''We're ready for a good, hard, honest contest. These conditions here will probably suit Sri Lanka right down to the ground, so we know we'll have to be at our best to compete.''

Ponting is unconcerned by those who point out Australia, seeking to bag the silverware for a third successive time, must be due to lose a match soon, having racked up a sequence of seven victories since the start of the tournament.

''Our winning run will have to come to an end at some stage. But the way we are playing we hope it's not in this tournament,'' he said.

''This is a really exciting time for us. It's the business end of the tournament, and the whole event is going to take off a little bit from now - with the best teams coming up against one another.

''We're looking forward to it.''

Ponting rates Australia's seven-wicket win over England in Antigua a week ago as their closest match so far, having brushed aside the challenge of the world's top-ranked one-day team South Africa in the group stages in St Kitts.

''The South Africa game was one we thought would be a great game, and we managed to play some great cricket and turned it into one that wasn't as close as everyone might have expected,'' he recalled.

''The West Indies game was probably the same, and our closest game so far was probably against England.''

Sri Lanka appear to have significantly more bases covered than the teams Australia have previously beaten.

''Their top order can be pretty devastating. Jayasuriya is a class player and has been for a long time,'' said Ponting.

''We'll be hoping to get on top of their batting as quickly as we can - and Shaun Tait is going to play a big part in doing that.

''Chaminda Vaas has been a great bowler for a long time, and when they get early wickets that makes Muralitharan more effective through the middle of the innings.

''We need to try to make sure we don't lose those wickets against the new ball, so that we've got them in hand for that middle part of the game when they'll probably try to slow things down with their spinners.''

It seems Australia, who could come up against Sri Lanka again in either a semi-final or the final, will not have to contend with Malinga this time.

''We're aware that he's not quite right and we don't want to worsen the situation," said Moody. "We'd rather get on top of it completely before we let him loose again.''

Moody put an end to any fears, however, that Malinga may be struggling to play a part in the knockout stages, which start next week.

''He'll definitely be playing, going forward, but probably tomorrow is a day or two too early,'' he added of a player who also has the option of coming back in Sri Lanka's final Super Eight match against Ireland on Wednesday.

Moody is heartened to learn Australia believe conditions in Grenada will be especially conducive to Sri Lanka's gameplan.

''The wicket here is dry and will turn, and we have a number of spin options,'' he said.

''If they consider that is an advantage for us going into the match then that is great.''