A team in transition

LAST season's 'Ashes' euphoria is still rampant in England. One has only to take a look at the number of people queuing up to get into the grounds on the morning of a Test to know that the 2005 'Ashes' series has made a big impact on the game here.

Who would have thought that Lord's would be filled to near capacity on the opening day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and England? Sri Lanka does draw the crowds in England but not so much to fill the stands.

Apart from champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, the present team lacks draw cards because it is one in transition. There is no Sanath Jayasuriya, an Aravinda de Silva or an Arjuna Ranatunga to give the team that character which makes people want to spend money to come and watch.

The present team may produce players of this calibre with time because there is Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, two batsmen of the highest calibre and among the younger lot there is Upul Tharanga and Chamara Kapugedera.

Sadly enough one cannot see a match-winning bowler on the horizon although there are quite a few talented ones around.

Sri Lanka's biggest setback on this tour is the absence of opening bat Marvan Atapattu.

The former Sri Lanka skipper is recovering in a Melbourne hospital following a spinal operation and his future is uncertain. Atapattu has been a great success with the bat on the past two tours to England and his experience would have given the team immense confidence to take on the English bowlers.

Former England opener Geoff Boycott admits in his column in the 'The Daily Telegraph' that Sri Lanka are not the force they were a few years ago because age has caught up with some of the senior players. But he goes onto say that although the next lot aren't as good, one day they may be.

Another former cricketer Pakistan all-rounder Imran Khan has this to say in 'The Sportsman': "I do remember playing against Sanath Jayasuriya when my career was coming to an end and he was just starting out.

It was in the last Test of the series in Faisalabad in 1992 where he made 81 off 95 balls against Waqar and Wasim in their prime. "Admittedly he did not look too comfortable against them - sometimes a bit rattled, actually - but we suddenly realised that this guy had the most brilliant eye.

England under pressure

Following their Ashes triumph the expectations for England to beat Sri Lanka are very high.

Their failure to do so at Lord's where Sri Lanka produced one of the finest rearguards actions in the history of the game to draw it has put more pressure on England as well as its captain Freddie Flintoff.

Here are some of the newspaper headlines on the first day of the second Test which is being played at Edgbaston: "Busy Flintoff must deliver" said 'The Daily Mail', "Fred sounds wake-up call" said 'The Daily Express', "England need a quick answer" wrote former England all-rounder Derek Pringle in 'The Daily Telegraph' while former England opener Geoff Boycott in the same paper wrote: "Honesty is the best policy after Lord's let-down".

Boycott further went on to reiterate: "How many of the England players at Lord's can look in the mirror and say honestly that they played Sri Lanka with the same intensity, desire, commitment and will to win that they showed against Australia last summer? The England team can protest all they want but you can't lie to the man in the mirror.

England need to start winning Tests and winning series if they are to go to Australia full of confidence."

Boycott wrote: "The Aussies have a saying: 'Never give a sucker an even break'. What it really means is don't let the underdog get up off the floor. That's exactly what England did at Lord's."

So it is easy to understand why England is under so much pressure to beat Sri Lanka