Cricket update - India set to Lock Horns with the Sri Lankans in test series
The top ranked team in the longest format of the game, India is set to take on neighbouring Sri Lankans in what is expected to be a tough series. It is going to be a stern test for both teams, considering their relative strengths and weaknesses, which have fought some engrossing battles in test cricket in recent years.
The three test match series is set to start on the 18th in the southern city of Galle. A city that is now another top ranked international venue recovering outstandingly well from the horrors of the 2004 Tsunami that ripped the stadium apart.
The first test in Galle will be of great importance for the man who re-wrote history books with his wiles and guiles especially in the longest format of the game; The man who is known as the King of off-spin, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Muttiah-Muralitharan-c78157.
Muralitharan has a staggering 792 test wickets against his name and hopes that he snares the eight remaining in Galle that will take him to 800.
The Indian skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028 heaped praise on the champion bowler saying that his achievements were known to everyone who follows the game all around the world.
"Murali is a great bowler. Everybody talks a lot about Muralidfharan. I don't think I need to say much when it comes to cricket but I think he is a great human being and that really matters because after cricket people remember you for what you have done on the field but it is very important to know how people remember you as a person. He will always be remembered as a great human being. Always there to help youngsters when ever needed," Dhoni said.
Meanwhile the series is set to be a heated one as rival captains have come out with varying opinions on the Decision Review System. The system has been under the spotlight as the call for technology and correct decisions in the game increase with every bad call by an umpire that can at times determine the outcome of a match or worst yet a series.
Speaking to the media on the eve of the series the two captains disagreed with the use of the referral system which will not be used in this series because of objections by the Indians.
However Dhoni’s opposite number, Kumar Sangakkara was keen on having the system implemented in the series, and is aghast at India’s decision of leaving it out.
"In our last series in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 we did not have DRS and in this series we are told that we also don't have DRS. That is unfortunate and I think going forward, the future of test cricket is the technology of the review system and if the ICC will make it compulsory for all test matches it will be a good thing," said the left-handed batsman who would be the linchpin of the home team’s batting line-up that will be relying on him and Mahela Jayawardene especially when confronted with the likes of Harbhajjan Singh.
Indian skipper Dhoni on the other hand remained defiant on his and his team’s stance and responded by saying that the system was not yet fool-proof. He added, it will only be attracting more controversies and delaying the game further which is the last thing it needs especially with the rise in popularity of T20 cricket.
Dhoni added that the DRS should be made fool-proof first before it is implemented at the international stage, as currently many of the decisions that come out of the system are dubious.
The wicket-keeper batsman was keen on explaining his point with specific details "In a bat pad scenario something like the hot spot really work. You know it is close to 98 per cent correct most of the time. So, on the LBW decisions and everything else we need to have something like that. If everything is followed that way maybe we could just have a camera instead of an umpire because everything will be done by technology," he said.
Tags: