Lankans come out with one eye Down Under
=Dilshan will open the inning today
For the Lankans the second Test that begins at the P. Sara Oval will have a double objective. First is for them to register their first Test series win since the departure of their champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and the other will be their real preparation for the tour down under which begins almost back-to-back.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardena has reiterated that there is no room for complacency, but, they will have to see that the now common top order collapses do not reoccur.
During their Test in Galle, the two teams experienced a slow-low turner, but in this game the Oval wicket should have more bite in the early sessions before turning into a good batting track as the day progresses.
In the last Test, the Kiwi batting was caught flat-footed against the left-arm spin of Rangana Herath, who bagged eleven wickets and became the highest wicket-taker for 2012.
In both innings, the New Zealand batsmen failed to prosper, save for the first innings half centuries by Brendon McCullum and Daniel Flynn. Adding to
The Lankan players flocking round leg spinner Rangana Herath after he limited the New Zealand second innings to a mere 118 runs with a match bag of 11 for 108 and made sure of a comfortable win. (Pic by Amila Gamage)
the Kiwi woes, their promising star Kane Williamson was unsuccessful in making an impression in both innings as well.
It was in this context that the New Zealand captain Ross Taylor, while speaking at the pre-match conference, said, “It is always hard to play cricket in this part of the world but we are very focused for tomorrow.”
Besides Herath, the two seamers – Shaminda Eranga and Nuwan Kulasekera also bowled impressively. Especially Eranga, the faster of the two proved that he can keep the ball in the right corridors. This should also give the Lankan selectors a sigh of relief as they have been in search for a seamer who has good control. Especially during the Australian tour on the faster tracks down under if the seamers begin to spray, they will be in for a lot of punishment.
In the Lankan batting department regular opener T.M. Dilshan who missed the first test due to a back injury is reported to be back on track and he will open the innings with his usual opening partner Tharanga Paranavithana. This means that the young greenhorn opener Dimuth Karunaratne, who scored an impressive half century in the pressureless second inning run chase following his first innings duck, will not get a second look.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardena, while talking about Dilshan, said that the flamboyant opener is keen to play tomorrow so that he can have a knock before the important tour of Australia.
Another batsman who needs a long stay at the crease is former skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who made only five runs on the second-day morning when the New Zealand bowlers had the Lankan batting in a difficult situation. He fell to paceman Trent Boult, after edging a ball to the slips.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Tillakaratne Dilshan/Dimuth Karunaratne, 2. Tharanga Paranavithana, 3. Kumar Sangakkara, 4. Mahela Jayawardene (c), 5. Thilan Samaraweera, 6. Angelo Mathews, 7. Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8. Nuwan Kulasekara, 9. Suraj Randiv, 10. Rangana Herath, 11.Shaminda Eranga.((
New Zealand (probable): 1. Martin Guptill, 2. Brendon McCullum, 3. Kane Williamson, 4. Ross Taylor, 5. Daniel Flynn, 6. James Franklin/Rob Nicol, 7. Kruger van Wyk, 8. Doug Bracewell, 9. Tim Southee/Chris Martin, 10. Jeetan Patel, 11. Trent Boult.
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