 India were dealt a couple of heavy blows before the start of the second Test match
at Colombo as two of their main batsmen were ruled out playing in the game. Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir missed the second test match due to fitness issues
and that meant that the Indians had to go in with two new batsmen for the game.
Yuvraj Singh was suffering from a fever arising out of a viral infection as
he struggled to bat in the nets. He seemed to be in good health till yesterday
but the fever seemed to have arisen at the eve of the game. The other injury
for India was that of Gambhir, who had complained of a sore knee at the
end of the first Test. He had failed to bat in the nets in the two days leading
up to the game and there was always a doubt about his participation.
Yuvraj had hit a fluent half century in the first innings of the Test match
at Galle, but then Muthiah Muralitharan, who has been Yuvraj's nemesis for long,
dismissed him in both the innings off similar strokes.
Gambhir has not had a great time in the series so far. In the first innings
of the first Test match, he was dismissed off the second ball of the innings,
LBW off an in-swinger from Lasith Malinga. In the second Malinga got one to
hold its line and take Gambhir's edge. This meant that Gambhir had lasted all
of five balls in the game.
However, it was not only India who went in with the changes. Sri Lanka
made four changes to the side as they looked to get in the best possible combination.
The reasons behind their changes were varied. Muthiah Muralitharan had retired
from international Test match cricket and hence, in his place, it was the inclusion
of Ajantha Mendis. Malinga had injured himself on his knee and was replaced
by Dilhara Fernando.
The other two selections were rather surprising. Rangana Herath, who had a
good match with the bat in his hand scored an 80 and bowled decently without
too many rewards was replaced by Suraj Randiv. Randiv is an off-spinner
who has also played in the other formats of the game. On the other hand, they
also removed Chanaka Welegedera and have got in Dammika Prasad in the side.
Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first.
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