Lasith Malinga back for 3rd Test against India
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gautam-Gambhir-c58623 and Yuvraj Singh will return for India. Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara praised Malinga by saying that he was the biggest factor for Sri Lanka in the series and that he was well on track after recovering from the stiffness and fever which prevented him from playing in the second Test against India.
Sangakkara said, “[Looks] pretty good for the third Test. He had a lot of stiffness and soreness after the first Test. He had a bout of fever as well. We'll assess his conditions as soon as we start training again. Everyone has been keeping an eye on him. If he's back for us for the third Test, it'll be a bonus.”
Malinga is thought to be a good replacement for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Muttiah-Muralitharan-c78157 largely because his presence in the Test side has improved the team’s performance dramatically. Malinga has the ability to contain the opening batsmen and he also seems to know how to handle a flourishing partnership. Malinga displayed both these qualities brilliantly against India in the first test when Malinga destroyed Sachin and Dravid’s lethal partnership and turned the match in favor of Sri Lanka. Malinga was as impressive with the bat as he was with the ball, hitting all the Indian bowlers to all corners of the park.
Sri Lankan Captain Sangakkara approved of the plan to offer contracted players a bonus if they were regular in featuring for the Test side. He said that it was a good way to encourage pacers and keep them motivated to perform well in the lengthy five day format. He further said the plan was just waiting to be officially approved by the Sri Lankan Cricket before it could be implemented. Sangakkara revealed that Malinga would be the first on the list, so a certain number of appearances are guaranteed in Tests.
Malinga’s performance was somewhat clouded by the fact that it was Muralitharan’s last Test. He was anxiously waiting at the 792-wicket mark at the start of the first test match and by the end of the match, the off-spinner had taken his 800th wicket. Muralitharan was determined to end his career on a high, and with the crowd edging him on, he did exactly that. With a single Indian wicket remaining in the second innings, Murali got the most important wicket of his career. In the first innings, the Sri Lankan legend captured five wickets, displaying his amazing bowling skills, which have earned him praise and criticism from around the world.
Indian Captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028 was worried about star player Sachin Tendulkar, who did not feature on the fifth day of the second Test match. However, he was confident of Sachin pulling a speedy recovery and said that the return of Yuvraj and Gambhir was a great boost for the team, “Sachin had a stiff groin, but as of now he looks good. Yuvraj is fit; Gautam Gambhir is also raring to go. This is as of now, but if anybody goes to sleep and gets up with something I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
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