Rival teams ready for knock-out punch

By S. Dinakar

COLOMBO, AUG. 28. Sri Lanka landed a stinging blow in Galle, and India, picking itself off the floor, sent the host reeling to the canvas in Kandy. Who will deliver the knock-out punch in Colombo?

The Sinhalese Sports Club ground is the venue for the third Test that begins, here, on Wednesday. At stake is a series victory that will mean much to both sides.

For the Indians, a win will mark the first away-series triumph since '93, and on that occasion too the feat was achieved in the emerald isle.

And the Lankans, in the midst of a pretty forgettable run at home, going down to Pakistan and England, in three-Test series during the last one year, are desperate to reverse the trend.

Under the circumstances, the home team is not taking too many chances. Much of the grass on the SSC pitch has been removed and it is a hard, dry, rough surface, that might have something in it for the quicker bowlers early on before settling down into a good batting strip. There might be some help for the spinners in the latter stages of the game.

The mood is now upbeat in the Indian camp, but the team is not taking any chances. ``We have been hit back before. If we are complacent, we are in trouble,'' Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly told presspersons before the side's afternoon practice session at the SSC ground.

The captain blazed his way back to form at the Asgiriya Stadium, and does add weight to the middle-order, while the classical Rahul Dravid has been a pillar of strength really for this side, and big knocks from the two would put India on the road to better things.

At the top of the order, Sadagopan Ramesh has appeared more comfortable than his opening partner Shiv Sundar Das, however, the Tamil Nadu left-hander will have to consolidate on his starts - he has three scores above 30 in four innings without getting to a half-century.

Das has looked distinctly uncomfortable so far in this series, a shadow of the neat, technically sound player he was in Zimbabwe. The onus is the Orissa batsman to deliver in the decider.

Also in search of runs is Hemang Badani in the middle- order. The southpaw's shot-selection has been pretty ordinary in this series, there is no denying his talent though, and the team- management believes the Tamil Nadu batsman will eventually come good. ``He needs to be given a fair run. He looks a good player,'' said Ganguly. The young Mohammed Kaif, for whom this tour is a huge learning experience, is a fine long-term prospect.

Wicket-keeper batsman Sameer Dighe produced a couple of acrobatic catches on the crucial third morning in Kandy when India had to strike, and this fighting cricketer has chipped in with his bit for the side.

Prasad admirable

A rejuvenated Prasad, approaching 100 Test wickets, has shouldered additional responsibility in the absence of Javagal Srinath, wonderfully well on his broad shoulders. The Karnataka seamer is operating to a nice rhythm these days, a key aspect of his bowling.

Zaheer Khan, who provides the cutting edge to the Indian attack with his sharp pace, has responded well to a challenging situation. However, it would help India's cause if the left-arm paceman could unleash his mean yorker against the tail, especially when men like Muttiah Muralitharan are swinging their bats around.

And Harbhajan Singh, having a relatively quiet series so far, might emerge a definite factor in the latter stages of the contest when the pitch starts to assist spin. The off-spinner is a class act and the Lankan batsmen have treated him with respect.

The Indians have announced their 12 for the game, with Jacob Martin, Dinesh Mongia and Rahul Sanghvi not figuring in the scheme of things.

This also means leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule and paceman Harvinder Singh will battle it out for one slot. Bahutule, a handy batsman too, is likely to be chosen over the erratic Harvinder.

Lankans under pressure

The Lankan team had a long closed-door meeting after the reverse at Kandy and there is considerable pressure on the side to perform at the SSC ground, a venue where it went down to England in the decider by four wickets earlier this year.

``We didn't play well in Kandy. That's now history and this is a fresh game. We should go out and play our natural game. It's important that we relax and enjoy our cricket,'' Lankan captain Jayasuriya was trying to ease some pressure off the side.

Coach Dav Whatmore pointed out, ``Seems to me that when we win, we win by a big margin. When it gets close, we are finding it difficult. It's a mind-set problem, not a technical one. You can't win a Test in one session, you can lose one.''

The selectors have left out wicket-keeper batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana and left-arm paceman Ruchira Perera from the sixteen, which make it a 14-member squad. And the Suresh Perera puzzle continues - he has been retained in the side but is unlikely to play.

Promising left-hand batsman Michael van Dort, who cracked a splendid century against India in the three-day game at the P. Sara Stadium, is all set to make his debut coming in at No. 3. and this could result in a shift in the batting order with the over-worked wicket-keeper batsman Kumara Sangakkara surfacing at No. 6.

Hashan Tillekeratne, on his comeback, has struggled for most part, and it will be a toss up between him and off- spinning all- rounder Thilan Samaraweera for the No. 7 slot.

Ruchira Perera's omission means experienced paceman Dulip Liyanage, regarded in these parts as a useful batsman as well, will at last get a look-in.

In batting, Atappatu, who seemed in fine touch in Kandy without going on to hurt the Indians, could enjoy the conditions at the SSC. Among the younger lot, the talented Mahela Jayawardene is always dangerous, but the tenacious Russell Arnold's form must be worrying for the Lankans. The key man, of course, is Jayasuriya, who apart from gathering runs at a breakneck speed, can destroy an attack mentally too.

Dilhara Fernando, with his speed and bounce and ace off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who could be a distinct threat on a dry pitch, form a formidable `pace-spin' combination. And the canny left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas is around too.

The Indians are confident they can take them on. The battle lines are drawn and the winner will embrace glory.

The teams (from):

India: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sadagopan Ramesh, Shiv Sundar Das, Rahul Dravid, Mohammed Kaif, Hemang Badani, Sameer Dighe, Sairaj Bahutule, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Venkatesh Prasad and Harvinder Singh. Coach: John Wright.

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Michael Van Dort, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Kumara Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Hashan Tillekeratne, Chaminda Vaas, Dulip Liyanage, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Suresh Perera and Avishka Gunawardene. Coach: Dav Whatmore.

Umpires: Messrs David Orchard & Asoka de Silva. Third umpire: Mr. Wijewardene.

Hours of play (IST): 10 a.m. to 12 noon, 12.40 p.m. to 2.40 p.m. & 3 p.m. till the end of play.

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