More often than not, nature has its own way. It could be for that reason that no spectator got the opportunity to witness, the three day encounter, between touring Sri Lanka team and Indian Board President's XI, which was washed as a result an untimely deluge in Mumbai.
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| Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan prepares to bowl to teammate Tillakaratne Dilshan during a training session in Mumbai on November 9, 2009. AFP |
Having been deprived of the much needed practice session, prior to the all important first test, Sri Lankans still remain calm. Yet, being professionals, they were busy in with their usual work outs.
"We could not try out certain ideas that we had in our mind. But we have been provided with good indoor facilities in Mumbai. So we took the maximum out of it," Sri Lanka manager Brendon Kuruppu said.
The players flew to Ahmedabad on Saturday to take a rare off day. They will be back into the action today.
Sri Lanka's new found opener, Tillakaratne Dilshan is kept under the watchful eyes of the team physio but the final decision of his availability for the first test is to be made tomorrow before the match.
“We have to let him run on Sunday and see what it's going to be. There are two more days and hopefully he will be okay" Kuruppu added..
Dilshan, with an injured ankle, batted in the nets on Friday, in Mumbai, but didn't make any complains. However the gritty player might make it to the Ahmedabad test as he is well known for not to look back in front of new challenges.
Sri Lanka gained the test status in 1982 and had its first test match in India later in the same year. After 27 years, Kumar Sangakkara and his men want to change the history book as Sri Lanka has never won a test match in India.
Interestingly, Ahmedabad could be the best place to start the campaign. It's the only place, on their soil, that Sri Lanka had beaten India in the longer version of the game. In an unofficial test in 1964, Sri Lanka beat India under the captaincy of legendary Michael Tissera.
However, the victorious match, in 1964, was played at a different location. The first test, against India will be played at Sardar Patel International Cricket Stadium, which is nearly four km away from the city center. In the meantime, the senior most test cricketer of the world today, master batsman Sachin Tendulkar has expressed his concerns of India playing fewer test matches.
India turned the cricket world on its head, by introducing the Indian Premier League, two years ago and seemed to be not that interested in the longer version of the game. India is to play only five test matches, against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, in the 2009-2010 season.
"I am quite happy with all the formats. But the one thing I look forward is to more test cricket for India" Tendulkar told an Indian television channel.
It's a disappointing factor to the master batsman, who will be completing 20 years of test cricket today. (15th November 2009)
The 36 year old still loves to play more test cricket, despite scoring a majestic 175 against Australia a few days ago.
"The competitiveness and the standard of playing are completely different. So that's why I feel test cricket is extremely important" Tendulkar said to the same TV channel.
India, being the new financial powerhouse of the game, is in a sound footing when it comes to negotiate tours.
There were reports from Australia last week that Cricket Australia faced a $38 million loss in revenue since India did not tour last season.
As India played four Tests, six match ODI series and a T-20 game in Australia, in the 2007-08 season, Cricket Australia has secured a $24 million surplus.
Surely, Sachin has got a point. |
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