Second Test against Australia begins today:

Calamity if Lanka loses again

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from Pallekelle

The Sri Lankan cricketers will have to produce a better all round effort if they are to beat the Australians in the Second Test beginning at the Pallekelle International Stadium and keep the Three Test series alive. If they succumb like they did in Galle, it will certainly be a calamity for the game.

They must forget the Galle defeat and take the field determined to win this Test. They have it in them to come good. What they need is to believe in themselves, then the pieces will fall right.

According to curator Asitha Wijesinghe, although it had been raining in Kandy, it has remained dry in Pallekelle and he says he has worked hard and endeavored to prepare a pitch that will enable

competitive cricket to be played on it. Then batting first on it would be advantageous.

Sri Lanka’s debacle in Galle was because their batsmen failed to play up to reputation. After they had the Aussies for 273, they should have batted sensibly and challenged that score. But when they crumbled for 105, the game was good as over from that point.

Tillekeratne Dilshan has a lot of responsibility as captain. He must bat with a bit more purpose. To just play loose shots throw away his wicket and then boast that, thats his style is poor thinking.

Granted that he must be aggressive. But he must temper that aggression with caution.

When he gifts his wicket early, there is the possibility of the rest of the batting collapsing as it did in Galle. So we hope that when Dilshan takes strike he would have learnt from his folly in Galle and play another innings like he did at Lord’s against England where he made a near double hundred. That was responsible batting.

In addition to his failures with the bat in Galle, his captaincy too came in for a bit of questioning. He should not leave room for questions to be asked a second time. And if that is not to happen, he must perform.

The Sri Lankan frontline batsmen must also make it a point to get amongst the runs. They should not leave it to former Captain Mahela Jayawardena to carry the burden. Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar

Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardena must also score big runs. Angelo Mathews compensated for his first innings failure with an encouraging innings of 95.

As for the bowlers, pacemen Chanaka Welegedera and Suranga Lakmal getting one or two wickets is not enough.

Spinner Rangana Herath bowled brilliantly especially in the second innings. He will

get more wickets if he flights the ball more and not bowl flat. He had Shane Watson with a nicely flighted delivery. But suddenly switched to bowling faster.

The selectors will do well to play mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis. He has been ignored for far too long. To hide behind the fact that he is a wicket to wicket bowler and unable to use the bowlers foot marks to cause damage to the opposing batsmen is poor thinking.

The bowling coaches are there and they must tell and show him how.

As for Michael Clarke’s Australians, now that they have drawn first blood,will not want to lose that advantage. They are a nicely balanced side led cleverly by the captain who inspires his men by

example like he did with his excellent batting in Galle. He is an example to youngsters with his clever use of the feet when facing spin.

In the absence of Ricky Ponting who has flown home for the birth of his second child, left hander Shaun, son of former Aussie opener Geoff Marsh will win his first Test cap. It will be a memorable

occasion because it will become the first father and son to have played Test cricket for Australia, since Syd Gregory made his debut in 1890, following on from his father Ned’s appearance in the first official test in 1877.

In the First Test all rounder Shane Watson failed to shine with the bat. A quick scoring batsman if he strikes form could be devastating. With his reverse swing had three LBW decisions going his way.

Left hander Michael Hussey is all determination and concentration when batting and has the strokes to counter whatever the bowlers have to offer and the man of the match award he won at Galle was rich reward.

Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson must also come good. Haddin was a quick scoring batsman. But on this tour, seems completely out of touch. He must play his natural game and bat aggressively as he has been doing in the past.

The Aussie five man attack force of Ryan Harris, Trent Copeland, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson and Nathan Lyon was enough to shoot down the Sri Lankan batsmen in both innings in Galle. Off

spinner Nathan Lyon with a first innings bag of 5 wickets on debut had a memorable game.

The stage is set for an exciting Test at Pallekelle. We hope both sides will play aggressive cricket and provide the thrills and excitement and not make the wicket an excuse if they fail.

Umpires – Richard Kettleborough (Eng) and Tony Hill (NZL). TV umpire Aleem Dal (PAK). Match Referee – Chris Broad (ENG)