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by Richard Dwight

Experience has it, and most of us know, that when a young prospective cricketer makes his debut for his side in the international arena of Test cricket, he more often than not, finds favour from a well meaning unseen guiding hand, to enjoy a measure of luck, so as to prop him as it were, during the initial stages of his cricketing career.

Inexpressible though it be, its nevertheless an interesting feature of this great game of cricket.

If so, its equally true of a cricketer, who lays off the game for a considerable length of time where fortune appears to smile at him on his welcome return.

This was very much in evidence, when the West Indies batting hero, Brian Lara, began batting in the current Test match now on at Galle.

Lara, who for reasons best known to him, kept away for quite awhile, is back in the fold and would have found that his return was blessed with luck.

Lara was under pressure for he had much to prove and was not batting in the class of a Sobers or Richards.

Though batting in grace and charm of his own, he was circumspective, tentative if you like, ever so cautious, when up against the world's best off spinner Murali.

It was an absorbing contest between a great batsman in Lara and spinner Murali, and the ideal moment to get him out, was in the early stages to his innings when he was trying to find his way through.

Lara adopted a strategy of his own to counter Murali. One of which was the sweep to leg that was effective.

But Murali was equal to the task and had him missing the sweep a couple of times which kept him guessing.

The battle was on and Murali summonsed all he knew to keep Lara in check or to get him.

With all the guile and tricks in his trade, Murali sent down a beauty when Lara was 31, the ball not only bemused Lara but understandably the wicket keeper too and Lara was given a life, creating a dent in the bowlers' confidence.

For what might Murali have done, if he claimed this prize wicket, and the resultant change in the complexion of the game taking place.

You can ill afford to give a batsman of the calibre of Lara a second chance and adding to our woes we drop him at 93 and then miss running him out by a whisker.

This goes to show that apart from a debut makers luck a 'returnee' too has much of it and substantiates what we have been stressing earlier on.

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