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Sri Lankans have a lot at stake

Battle will be between Lankan spinners and Indian batsmen, writes W.V. Raman

Mahela Jayawardene has been portrayed by the press as one brimming with confidence about his team’s chances in the Test series. His confidence can be attributed to the recent success against India in the Asia Cup final, but with his main pace bowlers not available due to injuries, the equation will be different as Sri Lanka take on India in the first Test.

The dashing batsman will have to hope that his spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis will make up for the absence of the fast bowlers.

Seasoned campaigner

The seasoned campaigner Murali is no stranger to extra workload but how much he can take at this stage of his career remains to be seen, especially if the seamers don’t provide the early breakthroughs.

Murali will be looking forward to bowling in tandem with the latest sensation Mendis, as spinners, like fast bowlers, are effective when they work in pairs. However, Mendis should realise that success in Tests will have to be earned as batsmen can take their own time and build an innings. With the Sri Lankans depleted in the pace department, the battle will be between the Sri Lankan spinners and the Indian batsmen.

Type of surface

The Sri Lankans will deliberate hard on the kind of surface that will be dished out at the SSC and given the circumstances they might play it safe by opting for a flat track.

This will probably be one series where the Indians can call the shots by being aggressive and their flair for it will be reflected by the playing combination the team management chooses.

With Dinesh Karthik back in the side, he can double up as an opener in order to make room for the fifth bowler. Anil Kumble, like Murali, has shouldered a lot of responsibility but he cannot be expected to bowl long spells with the same nip that he used to some years ago. The inclusion of a fifth bowler will provide some respite and also lend some variety to the attack.

Brittle batting

The home team may not play five bowlers as their batting can be brittle at times as they depend a lot on Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. The likes of Malinda Warnapura and Tillakaratne Dilshan have to provide enough support for Sri Lanka to challenge India.

The Sri Lankans have a lot at stake as things have not been smooth between the players and the administrators lately. Jayawardene and his team are likely to be under pressure from several angles.

The problem for the Sri Lankans is that they need to generate revenue from the international matches and it can be done only through sporting tracks that provide exciting cricket. On the other hand, will they have the nerve to do that when their frontline seamers are injured is debatable.

The only option for Sri Lanka is to play on turning tracks and that can backfire as well, as the Indians are well-equipped in that department. It is decision time for the Lankan skipper and he will also be aware of the fact that his decisions can be subjected to severe criticism at this juncture. Jayawardene will have to muster a lot of flair as a captain if he has to win both on and off the field.

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