COOLUM, Australia (AP):

ONE OF Ricky Ponting's cricket highlights from last year - watching Shane Warne set the world record for Test wickets - will be foremost in his mind when Australia open their 2007-08 season against Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan will be the star attraction when Australia begin a two-Test series in Brisbane on November 8 and later in Hobart, Tasmania on November 16.

Warne retired from international cricket with 708 Test wickets, just eight ahead of Muralitharan's current total.

"That will be our major goal - trying to make sure he doesn't break Warne's record here in Australia," Ponting said yesterday. "If we do that, we go a long way toward winning the series."

The Australian captain, speaking at a team briefing session involving Cricket Australia's 25 contracted players, said Muralitharan "has been an unbelievable bowler for such a long period of time".

"We'll treat him with the respect we always have," Ponting said. "I think he's come out here in the past and said we play him better than any other country, so the challenge is there for us again."