Cricket: Sri Lanka Aim to Consolidate Series Lead
As the euphoria settles down around the magical performance from the king of spin Muttiah Muralitheran in the last test of his glittering career. The Sri Lankans aim to wrap up the three match series against the number one team in test cricket http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 with a win in the second test at the Singhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
For the hosts the task is now extremely challenging as they have lost the two bowling heroes of the opening test win at Galle.
Muralitheran has bid farewell to test cricket after capturing his 800th scalp, and on the other hand fast bowler Lasith Malinga who claimed 7 wickets in the match to win the man of the match award sits out the test due to stiffness in his knee.
The Chairman of the Sri Lankan cricket set-up, former captain and legendary batsman Aravinda De Silva explained to the media that the pace man has been rested to give him ample time to recover from the injury that has plagued him time and again recently.
“We have to be cautious with Malinga. He was not feeling quite fit to go through a five-day Test. He complained of stiffness in his knee," de Silva said. "We are closely monitoring Malinga's fitness and we are hopeful he will be fully fit for the third Test starting in ten days time". The third Test starts on August 3 at the P Sara Oval.
Meanwhile, Captain Kumara Sangakkara knows that in the absence of his two M’s the task of getting through the formidable Indian batting line-up becomes doubly hard.
The selectors have drafted in the spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ajantha-c42419 Mendis in the squad for the second test. The hosts hope to keep a tight leash on the number one ranked test team, according to International Cricket Council’s ranking system.
Mendis was the star for the Lankans in the last series played between the two teams in 2008 in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 which was his debut series.
The mystery bowler made life miserable for the Indians taking a rich haul of wickets to take his team to a 2-1 series win.
He had the Indians baffled. They failed to read his rich array of deliveries, as the man from the Northern parts of the island nation continued his dominance over the neighbouring country.
He tormented the Indians in the final of the Asia Cup cricket tournament in Karachi’s national stadium taking a staggering haul of 6 wickets to cut short the chase by the men in blue, leading his team to a comfortable win.
However his graph has taken a serious plunge in the last one year, as opposition have started reading his various deliveries making him look like a pedestrian bowler in all formats of the game.
Mendis has been dropped time and again by the selectors, once he lost his confidence and rhythm, he became cannon fodder for top ranked international batsmen.
Many believe that the last two tests against the Indians would be somewhat the last chance for the spinner, especially if he wants to prolong his career in the longest format of the game.
In place of Malinga the selectors are expected to draft in the pacy but erratic Dilahara Fernando who can take wickets but leak a lot of runs in the process.
The thin bowling resources is set to be a major worry for Sangakkara and he would be hoping that the likes of Mendis and Fernando put their hand up and be counted in what can be a tricky game at the SSC.
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