Second Test starts at SSC today
Mahela ready for English backlash
Jason Perera
Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene buoyant following a 88 run win over England in the first Test against Michael Vaughan’s men in Kandy last week is under no illusions of the challenge facing his charges in the second Investec Test commencing at SSC today, and says ‘they (England) are going to throw the kitchen sink at us’.
“They are a very good side,” he told reporters after a net session with his players at the SSC grounds last morning.
“Losing that Test and now looking back, they might as well be feeling they could have saved it in the end given the situation they were in after the first couple of days.
“In that regard we are very happy with the outcome in Kandy, and I am expecting them to bounce back pretty strongly here.
“We just need to make sure we concentrate and look out for those moments to put them under the cosh quite early and make them chase the game.”
England came unstuck late in the final session of the fifth day in Kandy in spite of gaining a 93 run lead in the first innings and had they held out for another half-hour they could have drawn it.
Asked for his views on the composition of his outfit, Jayawardene noted it was difficult to look beyond the inclusion of recalled left-handed opener Upul Tharanga for the now retired southpaw Sanath Jayasuriya, meaning the hosts will opt for three quick bowlers supported by the wizardry of Muralitharan on a placid track expected to deteriorate towards the latter part of the Test.
Upul Tharanga, 22, who played the last of his 13 Tests against Bangladesh in July, hit 112 and 86 in two practice matches against the visitors leading to the three-match Investec Test series here.
Faith Placed on Mubarak
The home skipper though expressed his concern with the inconsistency of the lower-middle order batsmen with lanky left-hander Jehan Mubarak in particular fortunate to have retained his spot despite a string of recent flops.
But he quickly leapt to the defence of the former Royal skipper saying the coaching management was prepared to show faith with the player concerned.
The home side also could take heart from the overall track record at the SSC a point not lost on media savvy captain Jayawardena.
“This venue holds pleasant memories for Sri Lanka and I am sure we can draw inspiration from it,” he added.
“But then again this is a fresh game and what has happened in the past is history.
“We need to start anew, play to our potential and allow the result to take care of it self.”
Sri Lanka have triumphed in 10 of their last 12 Tests here since losing to Nasser Hussain’s English side in 2001, while the last time the two countries locked horns at the headquarters of local cricket, in 2003, Michael Vaughan’s men crashed to an innings and 215 run defeat with Muralitharan being their nemesis with a seven wicket haul.
England Not Downhearted
Meanwhile, England skipper Michael Vaughan is eager to fight back after his team’s survival bid on a wearing deck at Asgiriya went awry and says they are ‘far from being down and out’.
The English class of 2007 will no doubt be inspired by the deeds of their 2001 predecessors when Hussain’s side hit back hard after dropping the first Test to win the next two and clinch the series.
Vaughan though could not be drawn on the final make-up of his team saying gangling and experienced fast bowler Steve Harmison, Test rookie Stuart Broad and off-spinner Graeme Swann are all in contention for injured swing bowler Matthew Hoggard’s position.
“We are close to finalising the Test eleven,” he told reporters following his team’s net session at the SSC yesterday.
“It’s all about taking 20 wickets to win a Test, and we’ve had a long chat after the Kandy Test and we have to come up with the suitable combinations to take those 20 wickets.
“We know the mistakes we made up in Kandy and having learned from it I am confident the boys are raring to go hard at them to make it one all before going to Galle next week.” Vaughan maintained that had his team taken all chances that came their way in the first Test the final result could have been different, and emphasised that with the exception of Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan, the rest in the opposition can be exposed.
However, the English captain reiterated the importance of seeing the back of Sri Lanka’s number three early as he put it ‘he (Kumar) is in the form of his life as Kumar has said so it goes without saying the advantage can swing dramatically in favour of us if we could get him cheaply’.
Teams:
England (from): Michael Vaughan (Capt.), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Matthew Prior (wicket-keeper), James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar, Steve Harmison, Stuart Broad.
Sri Lanka (likely): Mahela Jayawardene (Capt.), Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Michael Vandort, Chamara Silva, Jehan Mubarak, Prasanna Jayawardene (wicket-keeper), Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan.
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Daryl Harper (AUS)
TV umpire: Gamini Silva (SRI)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
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