As I wrote in this column last week, the second test at Galle turned out to be vastly different from the first; we lost a game at Galle after several years and the margin of the defeat was convincing-just as much as our margin of victory had been in Colombo.

It takes a lot of character and conviction to work towards another test match against the same opposition a few days later and it is a psychological challenge just as much as anything else, but that is what we aimed to do as the third test got underway at the P. Saravanamuttu stadium in Colombo.
We had to identify our mistakes at Galle and I think we have done that. What we aimed for was a substantial lead in the first innings that would have put the Indians under pressure but we ended conceding a small but significant lead.

Then, it was always going to be tough to chase a 300 plus target in the fourth innings and the loss of three early wickets effectively ended our chances of making a match of it. Even if Sehwag outperformed us with the bat, we have only ourselves to blame for our own performances.

We must also take note of the fact that the ground conditions had little to do with our performance. True, the wicket was offering a bit of turn towards the end of the game but it was not an unplayable, treacherous track by any means.

That defeat in Galle meant that the series is still very much alive and we have to shift our focus to the Sara stadium. It is a familiar venue for us, having hosted one test match every year for the past three years but India last played here fifteen years ago. It is also the home ground of Muttiah Muralitharan.
We decided to go in with just one change, including the uncapped Dhammika Prasad instead of Nuwan Kulasekera. Dhammika of course performed very well against the Indians in a tour game.

My reading of the Sara stadium wicket is that it is essentially a batting track which holds no terrors. It is the type of wicket where batsmen would be difficult to dislodge, if they get set.

Therefore, it would have been a good toss to win but again, Mahela was not so lucky. The Indians did get off to their now familiar start, with Sehwag continuing from where he left off in the second test.
I thought Dhammika bowled exceptionally well. What was particularly impressive was the way he handled the pressure. Playing in his first test match in front of a home crowd and conceding twenty five runs in the first three overs in test cricket would have rattled most players.

But Dhammika took all that in his stride, bowled a beauty that earned him Sehwag’s wicket and thereafter he scalped Dravid and Tendulkar within the first session. It has indeed been a dream debut for him so far.

One of the pluses to emerge for Sri Lanka in this series is the emergence of new cricketers who could play a vital role for the country in the years to come. Even if it was Dhammika’s turn today, India must still be wondering how they should deal with Ajantha Mendis.

Mendis continues to torment the Indian middle order, billed as among the best, if not the best, in the world. Friday yielded yet another five wicket haul for him and those who were worrying about a successor for Murali must be relieved now.

Murali himself bowled brilliantly and it is good for the master spinner to have Mendis at the other end. That way, the pressure is kept on the batsmen at both ends and they will be prone to make more mistakes.

Despite the emergence of these youngsters such as Mendis, Malinda Warnapura and Prasad, we haven’t forgotten that the series as a contest is still very much open. We have to win this game and for that a lot more needs to be done. We cannot be complacent about dismissing India for 249, because they have got the runs on the board.

Our plan would be again, to aim for a significant first innings lead. We have realised that this is not something the side batting second has managed so far in this series. Even so, we are convinced that this a very good track to bat on, a fact demonstrated by the Indian tenth wicket pair of Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan who put together an invaluable fifty one runs.

When I was sent in as the night-watchman after Malinda’s unexpected dismissal I thought I would try to do just that. That Ishant and Zaheer had batted without any difficulty on this wicket gave me added confidence.

And, I have always believed that my role is more of an all-rounder rather than being only a bowler. And, being a bowler myself, I know there is nothing more annoying to a fielding side than seeing a night-watchman overstaying his welcome.

I did have my anxious moments, having to call for a review of a bat-pad catch off Kumble and then being dropped by Sachin shortly afterwards. I was disappointed I couldn’t get a fifty but more importantly, I hoped the runs I scored and my 95 run partnership with Kumar would give the batsmen who follow the freedom to bat without undue pressure and we can then look at tightening our grip on the game.

We are aware that there is a lot at stake in this game; we haven’t lost a home series for quite some time now and apart from such statistics, a five match one-day international series follows which in turn would be followed by the Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan.

Whoever wins the third test will invariably carry that morale boosting momentum into these one-day series as well. The test series on the other hand, has been a good contest so far and it appears to be heading for the thrilling conclusion it deserves.