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Brett Lee's express pace kept the batsmen on their toes
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Ricky Ponting sent an ominous message to Australia's rivals after they began the Super Six phase of the tournament with victory over Sri Lanka.
"We'll just keep doing the same stuff we have been doing all
along and the foot won't be coming off the accelerator.
"The great thing is that our team and the individuals in it
always want to improve whether it is in training or in a game," he warned.
Ponting admitted his fast bowlers targetted his opposite number Sanath Jayasuriya, who had to retire hurt after being struck on the thumb and then the arm in a hostile spell by Brett Lee.
"It's a World Cup and we're trying to bowl where their batsmen are least likely to score. If that happens to be at the body then it will be at the body.
When you bowl him
on his body he tends to wriggle
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"We're not going to go out there and bowl him wide ones because he's going to smack us over cover or point every time - that's a weakness in his game and we've picked up on that of late."
The World Cup holders came out on top by 96 runs after Ponting had from the front with an innings of 114.
"It was a pretty good day for us," said Ponting.
"I thought they got a few more runs than I would have liked at the end, but that happens in those sort of
games - they had nothing to lose at the end of the game and Aravinda (de Silva) got stuck into us a little bit.
Jayasuriya was given a working over by the Australian attack
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"The batting was very good and the bowling with the new ball was excellent, we had them under pressure right from the word go and we executed our plans particularly well."
Ponting said he was willing to take the blame for Adam Gilchrist being run out for 99 - even though it wasn't his call.
"Gilly played beautifully today - that's the way things go. He got us off to a great start, as did Matty Hayden - that was the platform for us today," he added.
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