The Hindu : Sport : Murali-Sangakkara act likely again

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Murali-Sangakkara act likely again

Ted Corbett

Michael Vaughan’s side is full of fighters

. — PHOTO: AFP

GEARING UP: Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (right) and Chaminda Vaas stretch during a training session at the Sinhalese Sports Club Stadium in Colombo, on Saturday, the eve of their second Test match against England

COLOMBO: Don’t imagine for a moment that you have heard the last of the Murali-Sangakkara double act that won the first Test for Sri Lanka in Kandy earlier this week.

They will line up against England again, but this time they will be at the Sinhalese Cricket Club ground that has been the venue for their finest moments.

Muttiah Muralitharan to give him his full name, now almost as little remembered as Pele’s original, holds the record for the most wickets by any bowler on one ground: 143 victims for 20.94 at SSC.

His nearest rival is Heath Streak of Zimbabwe with 83 wickets at Harare Sports Club, fourth behind Murali.

Murali also holds the record at Kandy (117 at 16.03) and Galle (87 at 16.15) and in all he has taken five wickets 32 times on the three grounds. No wonder that even in Australia, where he normally gets the sort of press given to dingos, crocodiles and Poms, he is being praised as The Bowling Bradman.

Sangakkara is also aiming for The Don’s status now that he is the No.1 batsman in the world. His finest innings was against South Africa at SSC in July 2006 when he found himself at the wicket with Sri Lanka 14 for two. By the time he was out he had scored 287 and taken part in a third wicket stand of 624, a record for any partnership.

His accomplice was the captain Mahela Jayawardene who had a comparatively quiet first Test against England. He made 374 against the South Africans before declaring on 756 for five.

More valuable

Sangakkara still thinks he would be more value to the team if he kept wicket as well as bat at No.3 but that chance has gone since Prasanna Jayawardene has made his name behind the stumps. Besides, look at Sangakkara’s runs.

This calendar year which did not begin for him until June 25 he has made 921 runs, a distance behind Jacques Kallis with 1125 runs from eight Tests and Kevin Pietersen who has made 930 runs in nine Tests. Pietersen needs only 53 runs to reach 3,000 in Tests and if he passes that figure at SSC he will have beaten the mark set by Herbert Sutcliffe in 33 Tests.

If he had produced scores closer to his average of 51 in Kandy, England might have been even more competitive rather than having to fight for a draw and losing in the last half an hour.

Adventurous

Michael Vaughan’s side is full of fighters and they will not want to be reminded by the one-day stars that success is possible in Sri Lanka if you have the right spirit.

As expected Sri Lanka replaces Sanath Jayasuriya with Upul Tharanga who is almost as adventurous while England insist there is a chance Matthew Hoggard, who has a back strain, may play.

Hoggard’s practice on Friday consisted of a slow walk round the ground. Hardly the right preparation for a Test.

The teams: Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Michael Vandort, Jehan Mubarak, Prasanna Jayawardene, Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan.

England: Michael Vaughan (captain), Alistair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Matthew Prior, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar, Steve Harmison, James Anderson.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Daryl Harper (Australia). Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand).

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