Sri Lanka on verge of unique feat

COLOMBO, NOV. 28. Sri Lanka will look to Muttiah Muralitharan to make its maiden clean sweep in Test cricket when the third and final Test against the West Indies starts here on Thursday.

Motivation will not be a problem for the off-spin wizard and his team as they attempt to build on the unbeatable 2- 0 lead against Carl Hooper's inexperienced squad.

Sri Lanka has not swept a series since gaining Test status in 1982, while Muralitharan is one 10-wicket performance away from surpassing New Zealand paceman Richard Hadlee's world record of nine hauls of 10 of more scalps in Tests.

The 29-year-old spinner set a world mark in the second Test at Kandy on Sunday with his fourth successive 10-wicket effort to go past Australian leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmett.

Grimmett grabbed 10 wickets in his last three Tests against South Africa way back in 1935-36. Hooper admitted Muralitharan was the difference between the two teams in the current series, saying the Sri Lankan was the best spinner in the world.

``There is no doubt that Muralitharan is the best spin bowler in the world,'' the West Indian captain said. ``He has been putting us under a lot pressure. We will have to come up with a solution in the final Test. It has been difficult here in Sri Lanka. Conditions have not been exactly good for batting and we are up against a world-class spinner.''

West Indies coach Roger Harper, himself a former Test off- spinner, agreed with his captain. ``Look at the statistics,'' Harper said. ``Shane Warne is taking four wickets per Test, but Muralitharan is taking well over five. He is the best.''

Muralitharan has so far bagged 371 wickets in 68 matches, including 31 hauls of five or more in a Test innings. The West Indies captain said his batsmen would have to apply themselves well against Muralitharan to prevent a sweep.

``We cannot be thinking about the whitewash,'' Hooper said. ``The important thing is that we play better here. We have to keep working hard. We cannot afford to give up.''

Batting was the West Indies' main worry in the last two Tests, with a consistent Brian Lara alone managing to solve the Muralitharan puzzle with 338 runs in four innings.

``We have not been batting properly,'' Hooper said, adding it was time for the youngsters to deliver. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, dropped middle-order batsman Michael Vandort to reduce the squad from 15 to 14.

The selectors kept faith in Russel Arnold who has scored just three half-centuries in his last 33 Test innings.

The teams:

Sri Lanka (from): Sanath Jayasuriya (Capt), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillekaratne, Thilan Samaraweeera, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Niroshan Bandaratilleke, Nuwan Zoysa, Charitha Buddika, Upul Chandana, Suresh Perera.

West Indies (from): Carl Hooper (Capt), Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Wavell Hinds, Leon Garrick, Neil McGarrell, Dinanath Ramnarine, Colin Stuart, Mervyn Dillon, Marlon Black, Pedro Collins.

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