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by Sa'adi Thawfeeq

We've already had one fascinating duel between one of the world's greatest off-spinners Muttiah Muralitharan against one of the best contemporary batsmen in modern day cricket Brian Lara in the recently concluded three-Test series between Sri Lanka and the West Indies. Whereas Lara accumulated 688 runs at an average of 114.66 with two centuries and one double century, he still finished on the losing side. Muralitharan on the other hand, finished the series with 24 wickets taken at a cost of 22.29 runs apiece and his bowling, especially in the first two Tests, played a decisive role in Sri Lanka going to the final Test with the series already decided with an unassailable 2-0 lead.

The contest between the two superstars was something that every cricket enthusiast looked forward to. Although Muralitharan had the upper hand early in the series, Lara gradually gained ascendancy over him by the time the third Test was played. The result was that Lara made 221 and 130, whereas Muralitharan who had taken 21 wickets in the first two Tests, had to be content with only three at the SSC costing 231 runs.

The ploy of West Indies was for Lara, their most experienced and capable batsman to take on Muralitharan and, leave the other batsmen to face the rest of the bowling attack. This way he blunted the efforts of the off-spinner so much so that he dismissed him only twice in six innings. The ploy worked to some point, but misfired when Chaminda Vaas suddenly produced two stunning spells of left-arm swing bowling to rout the rest of the West Indies batting.

Vaas who upto that time had taken 12 wickets, picked up 14 at the SSC which was still good for batting, to finish the series two wickets ahead of his illustrious teammate Muralitharan.

Once more we have another intriguing contest coming up at the SSC from today (venue of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe) between Muralitharan and Vaas, against the best batsman produced by Zimbabwe in their brief history as a Test nation, Andy Flower. Like Lara, Flower is also a left-hander and is going to cause problems to Muralitharan whose record against left-handers is not as good as against right-handers. Also, Flower has to contend with Vaas, who is totally a different bowler to what he was an year or so ago.

It is against Vaas and Muralitharan that Flower has got out to often in his Test career. Of the 17 Test innings he has played against Sri Lanka, Flower has got out to Vaas five times and to Muralitharan on three occasions. It is to Vaas and Pakistan fast bowler and captain Waqar Younis that Flower has got out often to - five times each.

At the same time, Flower has scored 698 runs (avg. 49.86) in 10 Tests against Sri Lanka with two hundreds (129 and 105 n.o.) and five fifties. He has been dismissed without scoring only four times in his career, once against Sri Lanka.

Unlike Lara who came to Sri Lanka with a Test career average of 47, but went home improving it to over 50, Flower starts the Test series with a career average of 55.18, his last two Tests producing a staggering 422 runs (avg. 211.00) against South Africa. A good percentage of those runs were scored using the reverse sweep.

"Flower confronted by a packed leg side field, defiantly reverse-swept into the empty offside spaces, forcing (Shaun) Pollock to rethink his tactics and thus creating more gaps, more opportunities" was how Wisden Cricket Monthly reported his knocks of 142 and 199 not out at Harare. Flower was up against the best bowling attack (barring Australia) comprising Pollock, Nel, Ntini, Kallis, Klusener and Henderson (left-arm spin).

Despite Flower's heroics, South Africa still went on to beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets and win the two-Test series 1-0 (1 drawn).

Flower may yet finish the series against Sri Lanka as Zimbabwe's top batsman, but will he able to achieve what Lara failed? To prevent Sri Lanka from completing a white-wash of the series.

Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore said: "Flower is another left-hander and quite a good one at that although slightly different to Brian Lara who dominated Sri Lanka cricket in that very short space of time more than anyone else I've seen.

"Flower is another threat for sure, but I feel that we are fairly confident of attacking him and trying to get him out early," said Whatmore. This is the fifth Test series between the two countries. Of the previous four, Sri Lanka have won three and drawn one. Zimbabwe have yet to beat Sri Lanka in a Test, the nearest they came to was in January 1998 at this venue, when they took the first five wickets for 137 runs. They were however thwarted by an unbroken partnership of 189 - Sri Lanka's highest for the sixth wicket against all countries, between Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga, that saw the hosts through to an epic win, chasing over 300 in the fourth innings.

Of the ten Tests played to-date, Sri Lanka have won five and five have ended in draws.

Marvan Atapattu has been Sri Lanka's most prolific run-getter against Zimbabwe compiling two double centuries - 223 at Kandy in 1997-98 and 216 (n.o.) at Bulawayo in 1999-00.

One thing that Sir Lanka have to guard against is complacency and skipper Sanath Jayasuriya is quite aware of that.

"We cannot be complacent against the Zimbabweans because you never know what time they can come back and play well. They have also had a lot of international cricket. We can't relax at any just because we have been winning. Everything we have done so far is history. This is a new series," said Jayasuriya.

"It is a test of any team you play whether it is a really good side or may be a side that seems to be as not as good, your performances still have to be the same," said Whatmore. "So temperamentally the players need to know that. A lapse in concentration and a bad passage of play could result in something disastrous. That's what we have to guard against and that's what not what we have been doing," he said.

Whatmore said that Sri Lanka's had a good last two months of cricket and that they hope to continue with it.

"We are now starting to play the Test match cricket that we have been threatening to do. In order for us to get the habits right we have to keep performing in this way. There is always little things in a game you can improve on. But generally speaking, the way in which we are batting and bowling in the longer game, has been good. So we need to continue these habits in the right way," he said.

With the pitch very dry Sir Lanka are likely to go with two steamers and two spinners instead of the 3-1 composition they were planning earlier which means that left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandaratillake will be in the final 11. Doubts rest on who will partner Chaminda Vaas with the new ball. Considering the present form of Nuwan Zoysa, young Buddhika Fernando stands a chance of edging him out.

The current Zimbabwe team is not the strongest to arrive on our shores. It lacks the experience of former captain Alistair Campbell in the top order batting and the leg-spin of Paul Strang. Also, Zimbabwe cricket has been badly hit by the absence of batsman Murray Goodwin, who on the last tour here scored 184 runs at an average of 46 in the Test series, and the all-round talents of Neil Johnson who played such a prominent role in Zimbabwe reaching the Super Six of the 1999 World Cup competition in England. Both players have sought fresh pastures - Goodwin returning to Australia and Johnson to South Africa.

The appointment of five captains since the last World Cup has not helped the team settle down as one unit. The political climate back home has also had an adverse effect on team performances. It is not always that the best team represents the country because there is pressure from the top to play a mixed side.

The teams:

Sri Lanka (from): Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillakaratne, Tilan Samaraweera, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralitharan, Buddhika Fernando, Niroshan Bandaratillake, Chamara Silva, Prabath Nissanka.

Zimbabwe (from): Brian Murphy (captain), Hamilton Masakadza, Trevor Gripper, Stuart Carlisle, Grant Flower, Andy Flower, Gavin Rennie, Craig Wishart, Heath Streak, Travis Friend, Henry Olonga, Douglas Marillier, Gary Brent, Dion Ebrahim, Tatendra Taibu.

Umpires: Peter Manuel (Sri Lanka) and Riazuddin (Pakistan), TV umpire: Tyronne Wijewardene, Match Referee: Cammie Smith (West Indies). 

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