 Pakistan and Sri Lanka will renew their battle in the first test match
that both teams will play after that unfortunate, terror-afflicted, abandoned
game in Lahore. The first of the three test match series will be played at the
Galle from Saturday.
Pakistan will go into the series on a high of not only having won the World
T20 recently, but also beaten Sri Lanka in the finals rather easily. The core
of the team remains the same, with the addition of test match specialists like
Mohammad Yousuf - back from the ICL - and Danish Kaneria. And if Khurram
Manzoor's form is anything to go by in their practice game against the Sri Lanka
Cricket XI where he scored 83, then it looks certain that he will open the Pakistani
inning with Salman Butt.
Younis Khan should continue batting at his favourite spot at three,
and would love to continue with the batting form that he had exhibited in the
test matches back home. While Yousuf should be an automatic choice in the playing
eleven, Misbah-ul-Haq's mediocre batting notwithstanding, he should bat at the
number five position for Pakistan.
The toss-up would be between Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq and Faisal Iqbal and
a lot would depend on the kind of pitch Galle has to offer. If spinners would
come into the picture, then Alam's all-round skills as a handy batsman - as
his 83 in the practice game showed - along with being a left-arm spinner will
be of great help. Danish Kaneria will continue to lead the spin attack, while
the pace bowling will consist of three of Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer,
Razzaq and Abdur Rauf.
Sri Lanka will want to avenge their finals defeat to Pakistan, and will have
their two protagonists, Muthiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis to help them
achieve that. Apart from that, the biggest news from the Sri Lankan stable is
that they will be led by Kumar Sangakkara for the very first time in test match
cricket. Mahela Jayawardene had resigned from the top position before the start
of the Pakistan series and was unfortunate to have not got a proper farewell
there.
The batting will greatly revolve around the likes of Jayawardene, Sangakkara,
and Thilan Samaraweera, who possesses an average of almost 60 at home!
There are a few other new faces in the Lankan squad, but they may want to go
ahead with the more experienced line-up. T.Dilshan's great run with the bat
should make one spot for him, essentially filling up the middle-order. And with
the openers Malinda Warnapura and Tharanga Paranavitana as the only two specialists
in the side, Sri Lanka should not have too many problems in deciding their line-up.
Unless of course, they go on with Dilshan as the opening batsman for tests
as well!
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