England poised to hit back in Second Test:

Sri Lanka must guard against complacency

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

The Sri Lankan cricketers who had to huff and puff to beat England in the First of Three Tests at Asgiriya, will do well to guard against complacency when the Second Test begins at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground on Sunday.

Once again it was the super five who fashioned the victory for Sri Lanka. They being Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, skipper Mahela Jayawardena, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan.

Jayasuriya will probably be missing, thanks to some poor thinking on the part of those who wanted him out.

When Jayasuriya gets going the batting train gets on rails and ends up with a formidable total.

But with the batting artist now watching from the sidelines, it would be interesting to watch how the Lankan batting will go and how life goes without the black superman.

The likes of Jayasuriya as an allrounder will not come easy. He should have been allowed to keep firing in the next two Tests, and then bade a graceful goodbye.

Jayasuriya should not have thrown in the towel, considering that it was his second innings blast that lifted the batting. Then when the England batsmen were making it difficult when the Lankans were probing for victory, it was his dismissal of Ravi Bopara, that opened the victory route for the Lankans.

He should have rebelled against his detractors and challenged them to drop him and not quit meekly as he did. He had performance to show.

Indications are that the Jayasuriya saga is over.

It was always a thriller while it lasted and there was always a full house lapping up the Zorro like action while he was on song.

The selectors are sure to toss in another left hander, a Jayasuriya clone in Upul Tharanga to face the new ball with Michael Vandort.

His dropping would have done Tharanga a lot of good and it is hoped that he will make the opener’s slot all his own and cement it with big runs to show.

Vandort too must not renounce his opener’s throne.

Kumar Sangakkara too is in blazing Bradmansque form with the bat as his big scores would prove. In addition to his exquisite timing he has lovely strokes to go with it, that pierces the field and leaves the fielders standing and watching the ball skidding to the fence.

A continuation of this form is what the team will be looking for.

Skipper Jayawardena has the knack of coming good when most needed. He is handling his captaincy pressures admirably and his clever thinking where he tossed the new ball to Muralitharan that made victory possible. That was a master stroke from Jayawardena.

All good batsmen go through a lean patch, and it is no different with Chamara Silva.

He must fight his way out of the dumps that he is in and be determined to come back and bat the way we know he can.

As for Jehan Mubarak, he does not seem to have the resilience to come good.

He is one of the chosen few who is persisted with but not coming good and repaying his backers. At the moment he is described thus: The more he plays, the more he fails. The more he fails, the more he plays.

What is mystifying is why Tillakaratne Dilshan with his fighting allround abilities is not slotted into this position. Prasanna Jayawardena as wicket keeper batsman has been the find. He bats steadily and his work behind the stumps is first class.

The catch he took down the leg side to send Bopara back and give Muralitharan the record equalling wicket was a beauty.

As for the bowling, Chaminda Vaas who has not been treated with the respect he deserves, with talk doing the rounds that it would not be long before he too would be axed, would once again have to support Muralitharan in bowling out the Englishmen.

Dilhara Fernando is a trier, while it is sad to see Fernando’s no-balling virus catching up with Lasith Maligna, who in his endeavour for pace is bowling anywhere deliveries.

As for England they seem to be a team in a crisis with injuries to players.

Matthew Hoggard their most successful bowler is probably out with a back injury and whether Steve Harmison will take his place is still not certain.

The England top order must put big runs on the board and let loose their bowlers on the Lankan batsmen. Not to have runs to show would mean to always be on the ropes.

That has not been the style of England batting in the past. The England bowlers must also be more active and penetrative.

The SSC wicket like all wickets will have that extra bit of life early on and turn out into being a batting paradise, with the wicket on the last day favouring spin.

Captains Mahela Jayawardena and Michael Vaughan would only be speculating as to the line ups they will front up.

They will decide on the playing elevens only after a look at the wicket on the morning of the match.

With the Lankans looking to win and take the series and with England determined not to succumb a second time, the stage is set for an absorbing and exciting Second Test at the Sri Lanka cricket headquarters. Over then to the SSC and cricket Luvr’ly cricket.