 The Sri Lankan cricket captain, Kumar Sangakkara, realises that their record
in test matches in India is as poor as it could get and hence would like to change
that in the forthcoming series that his team plays against hosts India. In the
last 27 years, the Lankans have played 14 test matches so far, but have yet to
win a single game. Their best series result came in the 1997-98 series when they
managed to snatch a 0-0 draw against the Sachin Tendulkar-led India.
Last time around, the Lankans had begun well in a rain-hit test match between
the two teams, but then had gone on to lose the remaining two games to lose
the series 2-0. To add to their misery, the losses were 188 runs and 259 runs
large, which meant that the Sri Lankans had been thoroughly outplayed in the
series.
Sri Lanka will play three test matches, two T20Is and five ODIs in a tour that
lasts for more than a month and a half. They open their campaign with a tour
game against the Board President's XI at Mumbai and will follow that up with
three test matches at Ahmedabad, Kanpur and Mumbai. The Mumbai game will
be played at the Brabourne stadium as the Wankhede stadium is currently under
renovation.
Sri Lanka has yet to win a single game in Australia and South Africa, apart
from India, and Sangakkara has said that he understands that and will look to
change the record. He also added, "We are here to relax, enjoy and not
worry about history, and try and put as much pressure on the Indians as possible."
Sangakkara made a pertinent point when he said that the Indians do not like
to be pressurised and their loss against the Aussies in the ongoing ODI series
will mean that they will be under a lot of pressure to defend their record.
This will be the one place that the Sri Lanka will be able to take advantage.
The Lankans have also brought an inexperienced bowling attack, but Sangakkara
brushed off those suggestions by saying, "Inexperience is sometimes a good
thing as the Indian batsmen have not played our fast bowlers regularly in the
longer form of the game which can work to our advantage."
Unfortunately, even the great Muralitharan averages more than 40 in India
and that will be the one thing that the off-spinner would love to change about
his record. Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath will be the other two spinners
in the side.
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