Windies looking to continue good form

Elmo Rodrigopulle

After coming out second best in the First Test at the Galle International Stadium Sri Lanka will be looking to raise their drooping spirits and produce a better effort when they front up to the West Indies in the Second Test starting at the R Premadasa Stadium, today.

Sri Lanka cricket suffered humiliation when the inexperienced Windies slapped a follow-on invitation on them in Galle. The only way the Sri Lankans can erase that embarrassment is by beating the visitors by innings this time round.

The teams will be stepping into unknown territory. That is because every thing from the ground to the turf wicket will be new. Even the scribes will be settling down to a new media box.

Importance

But for the two teams what will be of paramount importance will as to how the new wicket will play. Will the wicket be helpful to the batsmen or the bowlers? Will it be wise to bat first? These are the questions that will be worrying captains Darren Sammy and Kumar Sangakkara when the coin is spun.

What ever this being a five day game, it will be good to bat first. With the present rains and with the wicket likely to be covered for long periods, there will be a certain amount of moisture. When batting first, the most difficult will be during the drying stages of the wicket if and when the sun comes out. That is the period when technically correct batsmen can survive and progress.

Forecasts

The forecasts are for rain. It will be a pity if this game too is ruined like the First Test in Galle. The game of cricket needs sunshine for the teams to perform. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and pray for cricket playing weather.

The Windies who took all honours from the First Test will be a bit upset that their promising off spinner Shane Shillingford had been reported for s suspect action. He bowled splendidly and it is a pity the misfortune that has befallen him.

However the visitors have an excellent replacement in the tall and gangling left arm spinner in Suleiman Benn who could prove a match winner in these conditions with his clever bowling.

Frontline

Windies will be hoping that left handed mauler Chris Gayle will carry his form in Galle in this Test too.

As he showed if he gets going again the Lankans will be up against it and Gayle’s run making will rub off on their other frontline batsmen.

As for the Lankans, their pacemen Thilana Thusara and Dhammika Prasad who wasted the new ball have been omitted and the new ball attack will be led by Nuwan Kulasekera with Dilhara Fernando, Lakmal or Eranga for support.

Being a Test match, it will be good to go in with an experienced back up for Kulasekera.

While Ajantha Mendis will lead the spin attack after his resounding success in Galle, although Suraj Randiv too bowled well there is the possibility of left arm spinner Rangana Herath coming in to add variety.

However these problems will be solved only after skipper Kumar Sangakkara and the selectors have a look at the wicket before the toss.

The West Indians too will do similarly.